A group of YouTubers, journalists and activists who took to the streets in the summer of 2020 have settled their case with the city of Denver over alleged police violence during protests against police violence.
Denver City Council unanimously approved the $398,500 in settlements Monday afternoon.
The City Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the case.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs were injured “after being targeted, shot at, gassed, and/or fired upon” while they were participating in, documenting and observing protests and demonstrations against the police in the summer of 2020.
Pepper sprayed, tear gassed and shot by 'less lethal' munitions
Shavonne Blades, the publisher of Yellow Scene Magazine, was documenting demonstrations when police shot less-lethal munitions and tear gas at her, burning her skin and making it hard for her to breathe. The police, according to the complaint, did not discriminate between press and protesters in how they attacked the crowd.
Carol Funk, who broadcasts protests on YouTube under her own name, was with a crowd when she was pepper sprayed. She suffered burning on her face and in her eyes, according to the complaint.
Police allegedly tear gassed and shot pepperballs at activist Brian Loma, who was filming police on his YouTube channel CutThePlastic. They targeted him after he announced he was recording their actions, according to the complaint.
Winston Noles, who runs a YouTube channel called “Otto the Watchdog,” was speaking into a bullhorn: “Bad cops are poop, and the good cops who protect them, are also poop."
Police, according to the complaint, shot pepper balls at him, hitting his limbs and torso.
“The officer was under no threat and was simply punishing the protesters for their political beliefs out of anger,” the complaint stated.
Noles was shot with other less lethal munitions on other occasions and suffered serious bruising and permanent scarring.
John Reed, who runs a YouTube channel called “Ghost Rider,” was engulfed by tear gas and hit with pepperballs over several days, according to the complaint.
Michael Sexton, who runs the YouTube channel “Pikes Peak Accountability,” was videotaping the police actions when he twisted his ankle trying to escape tear gas. He continued documenting the protests while using crutches. Throughout the demonstrations, he was also pepper-sprayed.
Elijah Wesbrock, who runs the YouTube channel “Silent Citizen,” filmed a traffic stop until officers told him to leave. As he was going, according to the complaint, motorcycle officers followed him, slammed him to the ground, cuffed him and arrested him.
He was held for 36 hours and charged with violating a curfew and failing to obey an order. The Denver District Attorney’s Office dropped the charges.
Because the case was settled, a jury will not decide whether the Denver Police Department and officers were guilty of any of the allegations.
Millions in police settlements
Denverite recently published a list of dozens of other settlements over Denver and Aurora police conduct during the summer of 2020. As of this latest settlement, the city of Denver has spent more than $18.6 million on payouts related to the 2020 demonstrations.
The city is currently appealing another case it lost after a jury awarded protesters $14 million over how the city used less-than-lethal munitions on a crowd.
In 2025, the city has already spent more than $5 million on settlements with law enforcement – money that comes out of the general fund.
Denver is trying to fill a $50 million budget gap this year and a $200 million budget gap next year.
“We must therefore pay extra attention in this budget environment that we are watching out for how the city spends our money, and that we are making decisions for the future with this knowledge,” District 8 Councilmember Shontel Lewis said.
