A California woman who was violently arrested and knocked unconscious by two Solano County sheriff’s deputies during a 2020 traffic stop has been awarded a $17 million settlement, her attorney announced Monday.
The payout is believed to be among the largest in state history for an excessive force case where the plaintiff survived.
The Incident
On August 6, 2020, Nakia Porter, then 33, was traveling with her father and three children when they pulled off a rural road in Dixon to switch drivers. According to Porter’s lawsuit, she had already exited the car when two deputies arrived with their lights flashing. Despite explaining that the family was only changing drivers, Porter said she was quickly confronted at gunpoint.
Body camera footage captured the deputies pulling Porter to the ground, handcuffing her, and allegedly punching her in the head and stomach before she lost consciousness. At just 5-foot-2 and 125 pounds, Porter was dragged unconscious to the back of a patrol car, where she awoke minutes later. Her father, Joe Powell, was also detained but later released.
Though Porter was jailed overnight on suspicion of resisting arrest, prosecutors never filed charges.
The Legal Case
Porter’s federal lawsuit accused the deputies of violating her state and federal civil rights through “unlawful seizure, assault, and excessive force.” She also alleged that deputies falsified arrest reports, claiming she fought back and misrepresenting how long she was unconscious.
In bodycam footage, Porter can be heard saying, “For those that are listening, I am not resisting. You are not reading me my rights.” Moments later, deputies forced her to the ground.
Her attorney, Yasin Almadani, called the case a significant victory for civil rights accountability: “What happened to Ms. Porter and her family should never happen in our society.”
Settlement and Response
The $17 million settlement was reached between Solano County and Porter last week. A county spokesperson confirmed the resolution but said the claims remained “disputed.”
“We continuously review training, policies, and practices to strengthen community trust and prevent future incidents,” the statement read. Officials did not confirm whether the deputies involved remain employed.
Porter, reflecting on the ordeal, said the trauma has left lasting scars:
“These deputies treated us less than human and left a void we are still struggling to fill. I cannot describe what this type of experience does to a person, but I wish it on no one.”
The case adds to ongoing scrutiny of law enforcement practices in California, where advocates have repeatedly called for stronger accountability and oversight in cases involving the use of force.
