Family sues West Valley police after car runs over son during 2020 incident
Dec 28, 2021, 10:03 PM | Updated: Dec 29, 2021, 10:28 am
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — The family of a man run over on Redwood Road during an encounter with West Valley City police is now suing officers who were on the scene, as well as West Valley City.
On Dec. 6, 2020, West Valley City officers responded to a domestic dispute when the man they were looking for, 21-year-old Antonio Sivatia, started running from them.
The officer tased Sivatia and demanded he stay down, which was in the middle of Redwood Road.
Moments later, an oncoming car wan over him. Sivatia’s family says their son, who was on life support, suffered a traumatic brain injury which has left him mostly incapacitated with little recognition for them.
“He’s not the same,” Nonnie Masaniani, Sivatia’s mother tells KSLTV. “Diapers changed, feeding, they wanted to pull the plug when he was on life support.”
Masaniani says her son was funny, with a big heart and all his nieces and nephews loved him. Now, he is in a wheelchair, unable to perform normal daily tasks without assistance.
Robert Sykes is the family’s attorney. He has filed a federal lawsuit against the officers involved the night of the incident, as well as the City of West Valley for failure to train and supervise.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges excessive force. While the suit doesn’t specify damages, it does seek restitution for attorney and medical costs as well as mental strain the family has endured during the past year, and what they will endure in years to come.
Sykes says this case was “completely avoidable” and continues, “I have not had a case this severe where the person is alive in my 44-years of practice.”
Meanwhile, the West Valley City Police Department issued a statement Tuesday.
“We are aware of a lawsuit filed in this case and will begin the process of reviewing it. The case referenced in the lawsuit is under investigation by Protocol Team 1, which is led by the Salt Lake City Police Department. In addition, this case, as is standard for all uses of force in our department, will undergo an internal review. We don’t draw any conclusion about the case until all the facts are known and the investigation is complete.”
