ATLANTA — The estate of a man who died last year during an encounter with Atlanta police could receive a $3.75 million settlement if it is approved by the Atlanta City Council.
The resolution to pay a settlement to the estate of Ricardo Dorado Jr. moved forward on Monday when the council’s public safety committee unanimously approved it.
On August 21, 2022, at about 3 a.m., police received reports of a man vandalizing vehicles and fuel pumps at the BP gas station on Windsor Street.
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Officers responded and confronted a man who was later identified as Dorado.
In a police report, an officer described Dorado as being “violent and tumultuous in nature due to illegal drug use.”
According to police, as officers tried to take Dorado into custody, he jumped on the hood of a vehicle in the street and beat it with his fist.
They say he then ran to the back of the vehicle, tore the license plate off and threw it to the ground.
Officers twice fired a stun gun at Dorado, but they were not effective, according to the report.
An officer said Dorado grabbed his police radio, swung it violently at him, and then struck a car’s windshield with it.
Dorado ran into the gas station, locked the door and then locked himself in the bathroom.
Once they were able to enter the building, the gas station’s security guard was able to open the bathroom and officers said Dorado exited the bathroom violently swinging and kicking.
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Officers said they struggled to restrain Dorado but he ran to the back of the store and began throwing wine bottles at them.
Officers were eventually able to get Dorado onto his stomach and handcuff him.
Police say after minutes of no fighting, they uncuffed Dorado and turned him over on his back so they could administer NARCAN and perform chest compressions in an attempt to resuscitate him.
Officers described his condition as “not alert, nor conscious, but breathing.”
He was taken to Atlanta Medical Center North where he later died.
According to the Fulton County Medical Examiner, Dorado’s cause of death was “prone restraint cardiac arrest following exertional apprehension of agitated individual, complicated by methamphetamine toxicity, blunt head trauma, and coronary artery disease.”
The Medical Examiner’s report said Dorado had a history of schizophrenia and methamphetamine use.
The full Atlanta City Council will decide whether or not to approve the settlement in an upcoming meeting.
Channel 2 Action News has requested a copy of body camera footage from Atlanta police.
Dorado’s family issued the following statement through their attorneys:
“The misconduct of several police officers employed by the City of Atlanta resulted in Ricky’s untimely death. He was unarmed, and his death was completely preventable. While the parties have reached an agreement in principle, that agreement is still subject to the approval of the entire City Council and Mayor. The death of “Ricky” has been extremely difficult on the Dorado family. As such, they have requested that everyone respect their privacy as they continue to grieve his death.”
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