Family Fights to Bring Back Bicycle Casino Wrongful Death Case

Relatives of a man who passed away after he was restrained at a California casino are still seeking justice, despite several years since their son’s passing. That’s the case of a Korean American called Jonathan Jung, who passed away at the Bicycle Casino after he was restrained by casino security guards.

Several Security Guards Tackled the Victim Who Suffered from a Psychotic Episode

The aforementioned incident dates back to July 4, 2021. At the time, Jung was visiting the casino and enjoying baccarat when his mental health took a turn for the worse. The 45-year-old man, who was suffering from schizoaffective disorder, experienced an episode that saw his mood shift and start to experience hallucinations.

As a result, Jung allegedly started talking to himself and he was asked to leave by the casino’s security. CCTV footage recorded the incident shows the man near a baccarat table before he starts randomly going back and forth, chased by five security officers. The man then proceeded to exit the property peacefully and without harming or threatening anyone.

However, likely due to the mental health crisis he experienced, Jung tried to enter one vehicle at the Bicycle Casino’s parking lot. Once this effort failed, the man headed to a fenced area where he was cornered and tackled to the ground by the guards.

Autopsy Report Suggests Death Due to Methamphetamine Intoxication, Relatives Disagree

While initially Jung showed signs of struggle, after he was taken down by the guards, he didn’t resist or fight them. Sadly, the man passed away minutes after this encounter in what the coroner described as methamphetamine intoxication.

But according to the defense representing Jung’s relatives, the autopsy report was inaccurate. As explained by Terrence Jones, the attorney representing the family of the deceased Korean American man, who was interviewed by CBS News, the Bell Gardens Police officers did not provide vital information to the coroner that one of the security guards allegedly pressed a knee into the victim’s back.

Jones explained that this led to a “negative autopsy” report, a practice that involves the method of elimination. By following this method, the coroner concluded that Jung passed away from methamphetamine intoxication.

However, the deceased man’s family claims that wasn’t the case as they hired a forensic pathologist, a toxicologist and a pulmonologist to examine the case. The conclusion of those experts differed from the autopsy report as it suggested that Jung passed away from positional asphyxia rather than intoxication. They did acknowledge that meth was present in the victim’s bloodstream but rejected it as the main cause of death.

The Family of the Deceased Man Continues the Legal Battle

Jung’s family argues that several years after the death of their son, the casino security guards are not facing any consequences. They are alleging negligence and wrongful death. The wrongful death trial started last summer and took an unexpected turn when a judge prohibited the discussion of the victim’s past drug use, effectively reversing a previous decision.

This, according to the deceased man’s defense “swayed the jury’s verdict.” While the jury acknowledged the casino guards’ negligence, they concluded that this didn’t cause Jung’s death. Consequently, the family’s attempts at retrial faced a brick wall. As the family continues to seek justice for their deceased son, an appeal is filed.