Protesters injured by Denver police officers have agreed to settle their excessive-force lawsuit against the city of Denver that was set to go to trial last Monday.
The case stems from the 2020 protests over the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd and the Denver Police Department’s well-documented use of less-lethal munitions against thousands of people.
The police actions have led to the city paying tens of millions of taxpayer dollars in previous settlements in excessive force and civil liberties cases.
Notably, the city already acknowledged its officers violated people’s civil rights in court documents. That acknowledgment was a result of the city’s loss in an appeal of the $14.75 million jury verdict won by other George Floyd protesters in April 2026.
A jury trial, scheduled to begin May 11, would have determined the potential scope of damages against the 13 plaintiffs and the amount they would be awarded. But now a judge has canceled the trial because of the settlement.
A settlement amount has not been disclosed and would need to be approved by the Denver City Council and paid out of the city’s general fund.
The city of Denver previously declined to comment on the case.
The original complaint, filed in 2022, alleged Denver police targeted journalists, unleashed an “overwhelming use of force” against thousands, intentionally shot people with less-lethal munitions in the head and “brutalized” the 13 plaintiffs for political expression.
Without a trial, the full case against the police department will not be made in court.
Denver uses settlements as a legal strategy to avoid high-cost judgments and being found liable in court – even as the city has already admitted its liability. For plaintiffs, a settlement avoids the additional legal costs and uncertainty of a trial, too.
