The city of Denver will pay a total of $980,000 to settle lawsuits over injuries inflicted by police with “less-lethal” projectiles during the George Floyd protests of 2020.
“This happened in 2020 and it has taken until the end of 2024 to get them some justice and some resolution, but they're all very glad that this is behind them and they can move forward,” said Danielle Beem, one of the attorneys who represented the group.
The eight plaintiffs reported different causes of injury. Jessica Beverage said she was struck by a teargas canister, which caused “lasting breathing problems.” Alex Wolfson said an officer shot him in the eye with a rubber bullet, requiring optical surgery.
Although the lawsuit was jointly filed, plaintiffs were not awarded identical settlements. Payments ranged from $60,000 to $300,000. Plaintiffs who reported greater injuries were awarded higher amounts.
The other plaintiffs included Alexandra Barbour, Brianna Barber, Robert Harr, Christopher Holland, Nalina Infante and Cody Schmitt.
The Denver Police Department has not replied to a request for comment.The Denver City Council approved the settlement on Monday.
The settlement is the latest in a series
Since 2020, Denver has settled numerous lawsuits filed against the city and its police department alleging police brutality during the George Floyd protests.
The city has spent millions on these settlements. Last August, city council members voted to approve a $437,000 settlement for Ambrose Cruz, who was injured by PepperBalls.
The city has spent millions in damages for cases that went to trial. In 2022, a jury ordered the city to pay $14 million to a group of 12 protesters. That decision is being appealed, Axios reported.
Months after the protests, the Office of the Independent Monitor found that Denver police mishandled its response to the protests and at times violated its own policies while endangering people.
