LA MESA, Calif. — The woman who just won a $10 million lawsuit against the City of La Mesa is speaking out about the settlement.
Leslie Furcron was hit by a projectile during a protest back in 2020.
"I wish that it never happened, but I thank God that I'm living," said Furcron.
Furcron became emotional at times when talking about the settlement and the incident that got her here.
"My reaction to this settlement is it's really nothing that could bring me back to who I normally was," said Furcron.
Furcron was protesting police brutality outside the La Mesa Police Department on May 30, 2020 when she was hit in the head by a bean bag round that was shot at her by police. It happened while she was doing a Facebook live.
Furcron wound up in the ICU in a medically induced coma, and became blind in her left eye.
Today, she says she still deals with headaches, high blood pressure, and is sensitive to noise and light. She's also in need of reconstructive surgery.
"There's really no amount of money that can really take care of me for the rest of my life, but I am ok," said Furcron.
Furcron says she went to the protest not only on behalf of George Floyd, but also her son who had died just three months prior during a chase with Georgia police, after they performed a pit maneuver.
"He hit trees at 97 miles an hour. He died on impact," said Furcron.
The protest, which had started out peaceful, evolved into violence, looting and arson. Initially, La Mesa Police say they observed Furcron throwing something at officers.
But, she says it was an empty can of Red Bull she tossed on the ground.
CBS 8 also found that the officer who shot Furcron, Eric Knudson, was not properly trained on the gun because it belonged to the San Diego Sheriff's Department.
The gun disappeared during the investigation and still hasn't been found.
Knudson was cleared of any wrongdoing in January 2021 by the San Diego District Attorney and La Mesa Police, who determined he fired to protect nearby officers.
Knudson still works for La Mesa Police.
"I don’t see the common sense. He gets to do what he did and he still gets to have a job. Where are the consequences for the actions," said Furcron.
Furcron and her attorney both hope this large settlement, which was won in a civil suit, will serve as a message to police departments everywhere to re-examine certain protocols when dealing with the public.
In a statement to CBS8, a spokesperson for the City of La Mesa said:
“The City is glad that there is resolution to this very unfortunate incident.
This claim was handled by the City of La Mesa's insurance claim provider Public Entity Risk Management Authority.”
Furcron no longer lives in La Mesa.
She says after the incident, she wanted to leave so she relocated to Nevada to be closer to family.
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