Denver City Council voted to approve two settlements – for a total of $1.5 million — to six people who sued the city over police misconduct during the 2020 George Floyd protests.
The city has paid more than $30 million in legal settlements related to law enforcement conduct in the past five years, as Denverite previously reported. Dozens of people who participated in the George Floyd protests of 2020 have sued, saying they were violently attacked by police in Denver — and many have either won or settled their cases.
The most recent lawsuit to settle, dubbed Jazmine Bjelland, et. al. v. City and County of Denver, Colorado, named 14 plaintiffs. The legal complaint accused the city and individual officers of multiple constitutional violations and breaking Denver police policies regarding the use of less lethal weapons and tactics.
Six of the 14 are entering into settlements with the city: Bjelland, Derek Buranen, Gareth Doskey, Jack Girard, Robert Greer, and Kevin Kreeger.
Among the group were both protesters and volunteer protest medics. Some were shot with pepperballs, tear gas and flashbang grenades, suffering temporary blindness, burning skin, trouble breathing and a lasting fear of protesting and exercising First Amendment rights, the lawsuit stated.
“Plaintiffs demand that Denver and its police department accept and act in accordance with the principle that Black lives matter equally in our society and stop using indiscriminate or unlawfully targeted force against peaceful protesters exercising their First Amendment rights to assemble, speak, and petition their government for a redress of grievances,” the initial complaint in the case stated.
The City Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the case.
Councilmember Shontel Lewis called out the settlement during Monday night’s meeting, noting the city has paid out more than $7.8 million in public safety settlements this year alone.
