Guadalupe has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a man who accused the city’s police department of excessive force, alleging a former officer used a Taser on him without justification during a 2023 traffic stop.

In November 2024, Joseph Bernardo sued Guadalupe, the Guadalupe Police Department and several officers in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging violations of his civil rights as a result of the incident that occurred on Sept. 26, 2023 while his two children were present, records show.

On Oct. 14, court records show that the parties reached a settlement in the case. The judge in the case is expected to approve the settlement, according to Jerry Steering, Bernardo’s attorney.

Bernardo died in April as a result of health issues

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