“Made from clothes I used to wear. Hold it close and know I’m there. — Love Angelo.”
The spirit of Angelo Quinto is everywhere in the Antioch one-story house where he lived — even a throw pillow with a final message attributed to him is made of red-and-black checkered fabric from his clothes.
It’s emblazoned with a date: 12-26-20.
That’s the day the 30-year-old died, three days after being restrained by police who put a knee on his neck until he became unresponsive. His sister had called them seeking help as Angelo suffered a mental breakdown. That encounter preceded a fundamental change in how California and other states classify in-custody deaths as well as how Antioch police deal with mental health calls.
The family also is set to receive $7.5 million from the city of Antioch after settling a lawsuit they filed following Quinto’s death.
In 2021, Casandra Quinto-Collins, third from left, is comforted as she speaks about her son Angelo Quinto during a press conference at Antioch Police Department. Six months after his death, Quinto’s family demands answers. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
At the core for the Quintos, however, is how the night changed their family forever — and how they might move forward.
“At the end of the day, people will move on with their lives,” said Quinto’s sister, Bella Quinto-Collins, 21. “We have to move on with ours. But nothing is the same, and nothing ever will be. It’s a matter of what the new normal is for us.”
The Quinto family’s agony began Dec. 23, 2020, when Bella dialed 911 and requested help for Angelo. She said she feared he’d hurt their mother, Cassandra Quinto-Collins, who was holding Angelo tight to him, according to legal documents associated with a lawsuit the family filed against the city of Antioch.
When they arrived, the officers pulled Quinto away from his mother, then held him on the floor while handcuffing him. According to legal documents, both officers placed their knees against his neck.
As it all went down, Quinto pleaded with the officers, repeating: “Please don’t kill me.”
Five minutes later, Quinto was showing signs of lifelessness. Authorities summoned an ambulance, and Quinto was rushed to a hospital. He never regained consciousness. Three nights later he was declared dead.
A Contra Costa County coroner’s inquest ruled Quinto’s death accidental. At the hearing, a pathologist testified that Quinto’s “excited delirium” led to the death.
Antioch police waited for more than a month after Quinto’s death to confirm the incident publicly. They didn’t do so until receiving inquiries from this news organization. In their original statement, a police spokesperson said Quinto suffered a “medical emergency” while police were detaining him. They mentioned only that Quinto was handcuffed and made no mention that they had used more serious force.
A pillow made from Angelo Quinto’s favorite shirt has a poem that the Quinto’s said they look at often. Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group
The aftermath of Quinto’s death thrust the family into the spotlight and the uncomfortable position of sharing their pain with strangers.
Now the …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
