Multiple city law enforcement departments across the metro area have settled a lawsuit with a man who was filming George Floyd protests on May 31, 2020.
Police shot a projectile at Trevor Hughes while he documented the demonstration and police brutality against protesters, according to Andy McNulty, with Killmer, Lane and Newman, which represented Hughes in the case. The projectile broke his finger and left it "dangling."
In total, the departments settled his claims for $485,000, according to McNulty.
On Monday, Denver City Council approved its portion of the payout: $350,000.
"The tactics employed by law enforcement during the George Floyd protests in Denver were brutal and intolerable in a society that believes in freedom of speech," wrote McNulty in a statement. "Officers inflicted rampant police violence on peaceful protesters."
It's not the first time the city's settled or been ordered to pay money over excessive force in recent years -- far from it.
This March, protesters won a $14 million lawsuit, in which jurors found police actions violated First Amendment rights during 2020's protests.
In 2022, payouts over police behavior hit a five-year high, partially driven by cases originating from George Floyd protests. In September, the city had already paid almost $3 million in relation to lawsuits against law enforcement, compared to less than $2 million in the entirety of 2021.
While Denver's Department of Public Safety declined to comment on the settlement itself, the agency did note several ways officers have changed how they manage large crowds. The city has quit using 40mm less-lethal equipment and changed how officers can use pepper balls for crowd control. The department has also increased training on less lethal equipment, crowd control response, and strategies for using rapid deployment vehicles.
"We continue to evaluate our policies and training to ensure we are using best practices identified by law enforcement throughout the country to better protect peaceful protestors while addressing those who are only there to engage in violence," the department noted in a statement.
"This settlement compensates Mr. Hughes for the pain and suffering he endured, but until there is a reckoning within society that law enforcement does nothing to make us safer, and in fact poses a significant danger to those who would dare speak out and stand up for their rights, these incidents will continue to happen," McNulty said.
Correction: An incorrect reference to a court-ordered payment that was added by editor error has been removed and a subhead has been updated with additional context.
