Public Safety · Sacramento, CA
Sacramento Officer Smiled Over Handcuffed Woman Who Later Died, Lawsuit Photos Show
A federal lawsuit filed by the estate of Nyota Koya, 66, alleges Sacramento Police officer Matthew Sterling used excessive force during a November 17, 2024 encounter at Haggin Oaks Golf Course, after which Koya lost consciousness and died on Nov. 24 at Mercy San Juan Medical Center. The suit names the City of Sacramento, the Sacramento Police Department, Sterling, and Chief Katherine Lester as defendants, seeking damages on 17 claims including false detention, excessive force, and wrongful death. The Sacramento County coroner classified Koya's cause of death as natural, citing pulmonary thromboembolism due to deep vein thrombosis, while city attorneys say whether police caused her death is "very much in dispute." Sterling remains employed by the department, and the family states no disciplinary outcome has been disclosed nearly two years after the incident. The case is being heard before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chi Soo Kim at Sacramento's United States District Court.