Dana Hutchings, 41, entered a taco eating contest during a Fresno Grizzlies game in 2019. He choked and died during the contest and now his son has filed a lawsuit against the baseball team.

The son of a man who died from a taco eating contest is suing for wrongful death.

The son of Dana Hutchings, the man who choked to death during a taco-eating competition at a Fresno Grizzlies game in 2019, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. https://t.co/9VY4vbrBWN

— Kirsten Mitchell (@Kirsten_TV) April 6, 2021

Dana Hutchings, 41, died after choking during a taco eating contest during a Fresno Grizzlies game. His son has filed a wrongful death lawsuit claiming that the event organizers were not equipped to host the event. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that the organizers failed to provide a medical response team.

“People say all the time he knew what he was getting into, well clearly he didn’t,” Martin Taleisnik, an attorney representing Hutchings’ son, Marshall told CBS17.

Marshall and his attorney are pushing back at the notion that Dana should have known better.

"…alleges his father, Dana Hutchings, was not made aware of the risks and danger involved in an eating competition…"

Um…what part of shoveling too much food in your mouth, & swallowing whole chunks before chewing properly is dangerous is unclear to, well, anyone? https://t.co/1uq9rDky9I

— Rachel B (@RachelATC) April 6, 2021

People have sounded off on social media criticizing the family for filing the lawsuit. Yet, the family and their attorney are calling attention to the lack of information given to contestants.

“If you don’t know all the pitfalls, how can you truly be consenting and participating freely and voluntarily? It’s a risk that resulted in a major loss to Marshall,” Taleisnik told CBS17.

Dana’s family is seeking a monetary settlement from the Fresno Grizzlies owners.

Dana Hutchings tragically died during a taco-eating contest, and his son wants the organisation that hosted it to pay up. https://t.co/Now7VKPdh7

— UNILAD (@UNILAD) April 7, 2021

The wrongful death lawsuit names Fresno Sports and Events as the responsible party. The lawsuit also notes that alcohol was made available to contestants and added to the likelihood of the tragedy.

“We are devastated to learn that the fan that received medical attention following an event at Tuesday evening’s game has passed away. The Fresno Grizzlies extend our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the family of Mr. Hutchings,” a statement from the Fresno Grizzlies read after the death in 2019. “The safety and security of our fans is our highest priority. We will work closely with local authorities and provide any helpful information that is requested.”

READ: Kobe Bryant’s Wrongful Death Lawsuit Has Tragically Been Moved To Federal Court Despite Vanessa Bryant’s Pleas

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Photo via George W. Davis, Public Domain

Today, March 22nd marks Día de la Abolición de Esclavitud in Puerto Rico–the date that marks the emancipation of slaves in Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, enslaved peoples were emancipated in 1873–a full decade after the U.S. officially abolished slavery. But unlike the U.S. mainland, Puerto Rico celebrates today as an official holiday, where many businesses are closed.

The emancipation of Puerto Rican slaves was a very different process than the United States’. For one, the emancipation was gradual and over three years.

Hoy es el día de la abolición a la esclavitud. Recordamos la figura de José Julián Acosta. Quien fue perseguido y encarcelado. Este nunca claudicó a sus posturas y tampoco abandonó la Isla. Se enfrentó a España desde PR, hasta lograr la libertad de los esclavos en el 1873. pic.twitter.com/RYNSLtsgeB

— Eugenio Matías Pérez (@dreugeniomatias) March 22, 2021

When the Spanish government abolished slavery in Puerto Rico 1873, enslaved men and women had to buy their freedom. The price was set by their “owners”. The way the emancipated slaves bought their freedom was through a process that was very similar to sharecropping in the post-war American south. Emancipated slaves farmed, sold goods, and worked in different trades to “buy” their freedom.

In the same Spanish edict that abolished slavery, slaves over the age of 60 were automatically freed. Enslaved children who were 5-years-old and under were also automatically freed.

Today, Black and mixed-race Puerto Ricans of Black descent make up a large part of Puerto Rico’s population.

Celebrando el Día de La Abolición de La Esclavitud en Puerto Rico. La abuela de mi abuela era esclava. Pero fue liberada.
Le agradezco mucho a aquellas figuras en la política para aquél entonces, que comenzaron a ser más humanistas y a velar por los derechos humanos.🥰 pic.twitter.com/ms7BKRip9l

— Silk Worm 🇺🇸🇵🇷🇪🇸🏳️‍🌈 (@WormSilk1) March 22, 2021

The legacy of enslaved Black Puerto Ricans is a strong one. Unlike the United States, Puerto Rico doesn’t classify race in such black-and-white terms. Puerto Ricans are taught that everyone is a mixture of three groups of people: white Spanish colonizers, Black African slaves, and the indigenous Taíno population.

African influences on Puerto Rican culture is ubiquitous and is present in Puerto Rican music, cuisine, and even in the way that the island’s language evolved. And although experts estimate that up to 60% of Puerto Ricans have significant African ancestry, almost 76% of Puerto Ricans identified as white only in the latest census poll–a phenomenon that many sociologists have blamed on anti-blackness.

On Puerto Rico’s Día de la Abolición de Esclavitud, many people can’t help but notice that the island celebrates a day of freedom and independence when they are not really free themselves.

Independence is the only option for decolonization. Puerto Rico has been a colony long enough. The US Territories have been colonies long enough.

— MARR (@Anitaishere) March 22, 2021

As the fight for Puerto Rican decolonization rages on, there is a bit of irony in the fact that Puerto Rico is one of the only American territories that officially celebrates the emancipation of slaves, when Puerto Rico is not emancipated from the United States. Yes, many Black Americans recognize Juneteenth (June 19th) as the official day to celebrate emancipation from slavery, but it is not an official government holiday.

Perhaps, Puerto Rico celebrates this historical day of freedom because they understand how important the freedom and independence is on a different level than mainland Americans do.

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