Federal judge dismisses parents' wrongful-death suit over police recruit's training death
A U.S. magistrate judge dismissed the wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the parents of a police recruit who died during a high-intensity drill, granting them until Sept. 17 to amend the complaint.
During a Thursday hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler dismissed the wrongful-death action filed by Christina and Marcus Psalms over the 2025 death of their 30-year-old son, Jon-Marques Psalms, who collapsed during a high-intensity “red man” drill at the San Francisco police academy. The judge ruled the complaint did not overcome qualified-immunity defenses and failed to plausibly allege affirmative wrongdoing, especially regarding the state-created danger claim.
The court ordered the plaintiffs to submit an amended pleading by Sept. 17 to correct the deficiencies. Their lawsuit accuses the city, county, Captain Christopher Canning, Lieutenant Ray Cruz and other officers of negligence, lack of vital-sign monitoring, inadequate hydration, and exposing recruits to strenuous exercise that caused cardiogenic hypoxemia and rhabdomyolysis. The case, originally filed in San Francisco Superior Court and later removed to federal court, also contains Monell and battery claims, though the court found it lacks jurisdiction over the state claims. Neither side has responded to requests for comment.
Why it matters
The ruling highlights legal limits on holding police agencies accountable for training-related deaths.
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