East Bay Park District: Deontae Faison Taser Settlement Reached Before Trial

• The family of Deontae Faison recently settled a lawsuit with the East Bay Regional Park District and Officer Jonathan Knea over a 2024 Taser incident that left Faison in a coma.
• Faison was tased multiple times by Officer Knea, including while in San Leandro Bay, after fleeing a traffic stop.
• U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley previously allowed claims against the East Bay Regional Park District to proceed, citing a potential "deliberate policy" of failure to train officers on Taser use in water.
• The judge distinguished between initial Taser deployments, where qualified immunity applied, and later deployments in the water, where claims of excessive force could proceed to trial.
• The settlement was reached just minutes before jury selection was scheduled to begin.

This case underscores the potential for substantial liability for agencies like the East Bay Regional Park District, particularly concerning allegations of failure to train officers.

A lawsuit filed by the family of Deontae Charles Faison against the East Bay Regional Park District and one of its police officers, Jonathan Knea, has been settled just minutes before jury selection was set to commence. The agreement resolves claims stemming from an April 5, 2024 incident where Faison was repeatedly shocked with a Taser, including while in San Leandro Bay, an event that left him in a coma and on life support.

The incident began when Officer Knea approached Faison and a friend at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline Park, alleging the car next to Faison's had expired tags and belonged to him, despite not observing Faison drive it. After Faison provided an alias and attempted to leave following a 20-minute wait for backup, Officer Knea drew his firearm. Faison then fled towards the bay, where Knea deployed his Taser, striking Faison in the back a few feet from the water. Although Faison collapsed, he managed to get up and enter the water.

While Faison was in the water, his family alleges that officers deployed the Taser multiple additional times, contrary to both district and Taser manufacturer policies. Officers reportedly watched Faison call for help for nearly 40 minutes until he lost consciousness, after which he was pulled from the water. The family claims no CPR was administered. Faison's family initiated the lawsuit in August 2024, seeking punitive and statutory damages and alleging assault, constitutional rights violations, negligence, false imprisonment, and misrepresentation of harm to medical personnel.

The legal proceedings saw significant rulings from U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, a Joe Biden appointee, which shaped the trajectory of the case. In June 2025, Judge Corley allowed claims against the East Bay Regional Park District to advance, determining that the district's alleged failure to adequately train its officers was so apparent it could be construed as a deliberate policy. Her reasoning specifically highlighted the circumstances of the incident, stating that Faison was tased in the water, in violation of established policies, and then left without aid for an extended period, which strongly suggested an obvious need for improved training.

Further rulings in December 2025 saw Judge Corley dismiss certain aspects of Faison’s Fourth Amendment, 14th Amendment, and false imprisonment claims, while permitting others to proceed to trial. Crucially, the judge differentiated between Officer Knea’s initial two Taser discharges, which occurred while Faison was actively fleeing and for which qualified immunity applied, and the subsequent three discharges that took place when Faison was in or near the water. Claims related to these later deployments were allowed to proceed to trial, indicating that qualified immunity did not shield Officer Knea for those specific actions. Additionally, Monell and Bane Act claims against the district survived, as did claims of negligence, battery, and punitive damages against Officer Knea, though punitive damages against the East Bay Regional Park District itself were dismissed.

While the specific terms of the Deontae Faison Taser settlement remain undisclosed, the resolution of this Jonathan Knea Taser lawsuit carries significant implications for law enforcement agencies, particularly regarding East Bay Park District Taser liability. The judicial findings underscore the potential for substantial culpability when agencies are found to have a systemic failure to train officers, especially concerning the use of less-lethal force in hazardous environments like water.

This outcome serves as a compelling case study for assessing agency responsibility under Monell claims, which address municipal liability for constitutional violations stemming from official policy or custom. The nuanced application of qualified immunity, distinguishing between different phases of the police excessive force Taser settlement incident, highlights the evolving legal landscape for officers. The court's emphasis on the dangers of Taser in water use and the lack of immediate aid reinforces the critical need for comprehensive training protocols to prevent similar tragedies and mitigate legal exposure for police departments operating within special districts like the East Bay Regional Park District, which maintains its own police force across Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

This settlement underscores the potential for significant liability for law enforcement agencies due to failure to train officers, particularly regarding Taser use in hazardous environments like water. It provides a case study for assessing agency culpability under Monell claims and the nuanced application of qualified immunity in excessive force litigation.

Source: Original reporting via Courthouse News Service