Daniel Chong, the University of San Diego student who was
forgotten in April of 2012 by the DEA for 4 1/2 days in a windowless 5-by-10-foot
cell, reached a settlement with the U.S. government for $4.1 million according
to Daniel Chong’s attorneys (Julia Yoo and Eugene Iredale) on Tuesday, July 30, 2013.
After his lawyers get their share of the 4.1 million, Daniel
Chong plans to buy a house for his family and as he says in the video, “the
rest of it I’m going to protect from myself. I am going to lock it all away. …
I’m going for the retirement.”
Since his ordeal, Daniel Chong has changed his major at UCSD from engineering to economics. Besides pursuing his career, he plans to take
care of his mother.
Physically, Daniel Chong suffered from acute kidney failure, muscle degeneration, and dehydration when he was finally discovered on April 25, 2012, in his holding cell and taken to the hospital where he spent three days in the intensive care unit and a total of five days in the hospital. Psychologically, Daniel Chong suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
On April 21, 2012, Daniel Chong was among nine people who
were detained during a raid on a University City home. During the raid, a multiagency
narcotics task force, including state agents, seized about 18,000 ecstasy
pills, marijuana, prescription medications, hallucinogenic mushrooms, several
guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition from the house, according to the
DEA.
Daniel Chong had been at the house for a small party and was
smoking marijuana but was unaware of the more serious activities happening at
the house according to his video interview.
Following the raid, Daniel Chong was handcuffed and put in
the windowless 5-by-10-foot cell by a DEA officer who told him, "Hang
tight. We'll come get you in a minute.”
Daniel Chong was never formally arrested or charged. He was
just simply forgotten and abandoned.
During the next 4 1/2 days, Daniel Chong had no food, water,
or toilet facilities. During the last two days, he also had no light. His
holding cell had thick concrete walls and was located in a narrow hallway with
four other cells which were isolated from the rest of the DEA facility. A
peephole in the door was the only connection to the outside world but despite the
fact that Daniel Chong could hear footsteps, muffled voices, and opening and
closing of cell doors, his frantic kicking the door and yelling remained
unanswered. He was simply forgotten.
Without water for 4 1/2 days, Daniel Chong drank his own
urine. His attempt to stand on a metal bench in his cell and to try to set off
the sprinkler system in order to get water was futile since he was still in
handcuffs.
When Daniel Chong finally gave up and accepted his likely death, he used a shard of glass from his eye glasses to carve a farewell message onto his arm for his mother saying “Sorry Mom.”
By the time Daniel Chong was discovered, he had lost
15 pounds, suffered from hallucinations, severe acute stress disorder, dehydration,
acute kidney failure, and muscle degeneration.
While Daniel Chong has returned to his undergraduate studies
at UCSD as a now undergraduate economics student, the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) has not only settled with Daniel Chong for $4.1 million
but also apologized to him.
"I am deeply troubled by the incident that occurred
here," said DEA San Diego Special Agent in Charge William R. Sherman
shortly after the incident. "I extend my deepest apologies to the young
man and want to express that this event is not indicative of the high standards
that I hold my employees to."
A DEA spokeswoman who declined to comment extensively about
the settlement told CNN that a review of DEA procedures was conducted and
submitted to the inspector general's office at the Department of Justice.
So far, no information has been provided that any DEA officer has been disciplined.
So far, no information has been provided that any DEA officer has been disciplined.
