Army Veteran Paralyzed at Police Traffic Stop Wins $20 Million Settlement from Yuba City

On April 12, 2020, Gregory Gross, an Army veteran living in Yuba City, California, was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving following a low-speed collision. What began as a traffic stop ended with Gross on the ground, facedown, his neck broken.

During the stop, officers applied pain-compliance holds, twisting Gross's handcuffed arms and forcing him to the pavement, where he was pressed flat on a hospital lawn. Gross told the officers repeatedly that he could not feel his legs and could not breathe. One officer replied, 'Mr. Gross, we are done with your silly little games.' He was not released. He was not moved to safety.

Gross suffered a broken neck. He underwent two spinal fusion surgeries and was left permanently paralyzed, unable to walk or care for himself. He now requires full-time nursing care for the rest of his life.

Moseley Collins took the case and pursued a civil rights and personal injury claim against the City of Yuba City and its police department. The incident predated California's September 2021 law banning the facedown restraint holds that have resulted in deaths and paralysis across the state.

In July 2023, Yuba City agreed to a $20 million settlement, placing the case among the largest police misconduct resolutions in California history. As part of the agreement, the Yuba City Police Department committed to implementing new de-escalation training, conducting random audits of body-camera footage, and reviewing use-of-force incidents on an ongoing basis. Yuba City Police Chief Brian Baker publicly apologized to Gross at a news conference announcing the settlement.