Solano County to pay $17M to woman knocked unconscious by deputies over mismatched plates

VALLEJO, Calif. - A woman who sued Solano County after sheriff’s deputies pulled her over for mismatched license plates and knocked her unconscious has reached a $17 million settlement with the county.

Nakia Porter filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging excessive force over the incident, which happened Aug. 6, 2020, in Dixon.

Traffic stop in Dixon

What we know:

Porter said she had pulled off the road to switch seats with her father, Joe Powell, so he could drive. The family, including her two daughters, ages 4 and 6, and her 3-year-old niece, had been returning to the Sacramento area from Oakland when they encountered deputies Dalton McCampbell and Lisa McDowell.

Deputies claimed license plate issue

What they're saying:

The deputies’ squad car pulled up behind them with lights flashing. Porter was already outside the vehicle and explained they were simply switching drivers, according to court filings.

The deputies said they noticed the car had mismatched plates — a California plate on the rear and a Maryland plate on the front. Porter, who had moved from Maryland, had forgotten to remove the old plate, the complaint stated. At most, the mistake was an infraction.

"However, the deputies had called in the rear license plate to their dispatch and knew that it matched the description of the car and that there was no report of the car being stolen," the filing said.

Use of force Allegations

Dig deeper:

Body camera footage showed McCampbell, with his gun drawn, ordering Porter back to the driver’s side before moving to detain her.

The deputies pushed her against the squad car and then to the pavement while trying to handcuff her.

"Put your hands behind your back. Get on your stomach," McCampbell shouted. He can be heard warning that if she did not comply, she would be Tased.

Porter can be heard saying she was not resisting.

She alleged the deputies punched her in the head and stomach, kneeled on her back and pulled her hair. She said she lost consciousness seconds after the handcuffs were applied. According to video, she was unconscious for about five minutes. But deputies told paramedics she had passed out for only 20 seconds, the complaint said.

The lawsuit accused the deputies of lying in their arrest reports, including falsely claiming Porter had fought them and misrepresenting how long she was unconscious.