South Gate : Family of Slain Man Wins $150,000 County Settlement

The county Board of Supervisors has approved a $150,000 settlement for the family of a 57-year-old South Gate man who died in 1984 after his skull was shattered by blows struck by a sheriff’s deputy.

The supervisors approved the settlement without comment for the family of William Sisoyev. The county counsel’s office had recommended that the supervisors approve the settlement rather than go to trial.

Sisoyev died of blows to the head suffered in an altercation with Deputy Thomas Kirk, who had visited Sisoyev’s home concerning an outstanding speeding citation. Sisoyev was hit with a sap, a metal night stick covered with leather.

Sisoyev’s children, Katherine and George Sisoyev, asked the district attorney’s office to prosecute the officer on a number of claims, including one that Sisoyev’s civil rights had been violated. After a six-month investigation, the district attorney’s office declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence.

The South Gate City Council also asked the Justice Department to investigate the death.

Katherine Sisoyev said in an interview that the family found little comfort in the settlement. “We said we would settle, but we wanted them to admit they did wrong,” she said.