Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
The Israeli Walla! website: We are running out of stockpiles, our forces are exhausted, and the lives of the captives are in danger. It is time for a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Several wounded in an Israeli bombardment of a tent in al-Mawasi, south of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli media: Three wounded, three killed in an ongoing operation in the Gaza Strip.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli artillery shelling targets the outskirts of the town of Shebaa
Al-Qassam Brigades: The targeting took place at the intersection of 'Street 5' with the western line north of Khan Younis
Al-Qassam Brigades: A NIMR armored personnel carrier carrying an Israeli soldier was targeted with an Al-Yassin missile north of Khan Younis
Israeli media: At least two soldiers killed by anti-tank missile fired at Israeli army forces in the Gaza Strip
Local Syrian sources: Mortar shells fell on more than nine villages in the Sweida countryside
Local Syrian sources: Dozens of dead and wounded have arrived at Sweida hospitals as a result of ongoing clashes at several locations in the western Sweida countryside
Local sources: Civilians, including children and women, were injured in the al-Maqous neighborhood of Sweida, in Syria, as a result of ongoing clashes

California man awarded nearly $1M after 17-hour police interrogation

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 25 May 2024 09:03
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Police officers coerced Thomas Perez Jr. by threatening harm to his dog, compelling him to falsely confess to murdering his father, who was alive.

  • x
  • Thomas Perez during his 17-hour interrogation by Fontana police in California in 2018. (Fontana police footage released by attorney Jerry Steering)
    Thomas Perez during his 17-hour interrogation by Fontana police in California in 2018. (Fontana police footage released by attorney Jerry Steering)

A California city has agreed to compensate a man with $900,000 following a 17-hour police interrogation where officers coerced him into falsely confessing to the murder of his father, who was actually alive.

During the 2018 interrogation of Thomas Perez Jr. by Fontana police, located east of Los Angeles, officers said they would euthanize Perez’s dog due to his alleged actions, as outlined in a complaint and video footage of the incident.

A judge deemed the interrogation to constitute "unconstitutional psychological torture," prompting the city to settle Perez’s lawsuit for $898,000, as announced by his attorney this week.

The shocking case of the coerced false confession has ignited widespread outrage, as footage showed that Perez was under extreme emotional and physical distress. This included officers bringing in his dog and implying that the animal would be euthanized due to "depression" from witnessing a murder that had not occurred.

The incident unfolded on the evening of August 7, 2018, when Thomas Perez Jr’s father, Thomas Perez Sr, with whom he resided, left the house with their dog to retrieve the mail, as outlined in a summary of the case by Dolly Gee, a federal judge. While the dog returned shortly after, Perez Sr did not; consequently, his son reported him missing to the police the following day.

Read more: 'Systemic racism' rampant in US police, judiciary: UN

Perez verbally abused during investigation

Perez Jr. endured hours of initial questioning while officers obtained further search warrants to access seized devices. At one juncture, two officers removed Perez from the station and drove him to various locations under the guise of investigating his father's disappearance, as detailed by the judge. Throughout, the officers verbally abused him, alleging he had murdered his father and forgotten it, and disregarded his pleas for medical assistance, even as Perez begged for it.
 
During the interrogation, Perez Jr began exhibiting signs of extreme distress, including pulling out his hair, hitting himself, and tearing off his shirt, nearly collapsing to the floor, as summarized by the judge. At this point, the officers laughed at him. The footage depicted him lying on the floor at one stage, holding onto his dog. Additionally, officers threatened Perez with a $1 million restitution charge if he didn't lead them to his father's body.

Subsequently, detectives falsely informed Perez that his father's body had been found, allegedly with stab wounds, prompting Perez to falsely confess. After this, he was left alone in the room, where video evidence captured him attempting to hang himself.

Following these events, Perez was taken to a hospital under an involuntary psychiatric hold, and it was at this point, for the first time, that he was informed of his Miranda rights, indicating his right to remain silent, as stated by the judge. Later that night, one of the detectives received a call from Perez Sr’s daughter, confirming that her father had been found alive.
 
In an interview, the lawyer expressed that viewing the footage revealed how officers are capable of coercing individuals into providing false confessions.
 
“This case shows that if the police are skilled enough, and they grill you hard enough, they can get anybody to confess to anything,”  the lawyer added.

See more: Police brutality history in US

  • California police
  • Police officers
  • California

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS