A student at U.C. San Diego got a $4.1 million settlement after being left in Drug Enforcement Administration interrogation room for five days without food or water. According to the Los Angeles Times, Daniel Chong, 25, went to a house near his college campus to smoke marijuana after school.
Once Chong arrived, DEA officers raided the home and found large quantities of marijuana, Ecstasy, hallucinogenic mushrooms and weapons. Chong and eight others were arrested and interrogated.
After discovering that he didn’t have any connection with the drugs and weapons found in the home, officers told Chong he would be released soon. Still in handcuffs, Chong was left in a small interrogation room without windows, food, water or a toilet.
He was left in the room for five days. Chong was able to slip out of the handcuffs, but his screams were ignored. Not having access to food or water, Chong drank his own urine. Fearing he would die, he broke his eyeglasses and carved “Sorry mom” on his forearm.
Once he was finally discovered by DEA employees, Chong was sitting in his own urine and covered in feces. He was rushed to the hospital where he was treated for kidney failure.
The head of the DEA apologized to Chong and settled with him for $4.1 million. The officers involved have yet to face punishment, but the Department of Justice is conducting an investigation.
