by Dave Waddell
posted Oct. 6
On the eve of a long-awaited civil rights trial over their late son’s tasing by Chico police, Scott and Paula Rushing are “cautiously optimistic” about getting justice for Tyler.
The Estate of Tyler Rushing v. City of Chico will be tried beginning at 9 a.m. Monday (Oct. 7) in Courtroom 4 on the 15th floor of the Robert T. Matsui Federal Courthouse, 501 “I” Street, in Sacramento. Judge Dale A. Drozd of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California will preside.
On Oct. 4, Drozd issued a tentative decision on various motions. Scott Rushing characterized the overall ruling as “about the best we could get” given previous court decisions. Critically, from the Rushings’ standpoint, Drozd will permit the jury to learn what Rushing called “the totality of circumstances” that led up to Tyler’s tasing. The City wanted testimony restricted to the tasing itself.