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KPBS Midday Edition

Chauvin Conviction Underscores Parallels In Death Of Angel Hernandez

Angel Zapata Hernandez is pinned to the ground by a MTS code compliance officer and a private Transit System Security officer near the downtown Santa Fe Depot, Oct. 15, 2019.
San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
Angel Zapata Hernandez is pinned to the ground by a MTS code compliance officer and a private Transit System Security officer near the downtown Santa Fe Depot, Oct. 15, 2019.
Following the conviction of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, a number of key similarities regarding the death of Angel Hernandez are raising questions about how the local case was initially handled.

Months apart and thousands of miles away, there was an in-custody death tragically similar to that of George Floyd’s that happened here in San Diego.

On October 15, 2019, 24-year-old Angel Hernandez died while handcuffed and restrained by two MTS security workers, one of whom knelt on his neck for more than six minutes.

Unlike in Floyd’s case, there were no charges filed against the security officers involved here.

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RELATED: $5.5 Million Settlement Reached With Family Of Man Who Died In MTS Custody

David Hernandez, a crime reporter with the San Diego Union-Tribune who has been covering this case, joined Midday Edition to discuss his reporting into Hernandez's death.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.