SEATTLE — Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison agreed to a $10 million settlement brought by more than 50 people related to the 2020 protests that began after the murder of George Floyd.
“This decision was the best financial decision for the city considering risk, cost, and insurance,” said Davison. “The case has been a significant drain on the time and resources of the city and would have continued to be so through an estimated three-month trial that was scheduled to begin in May.”
The city is not admitting wrongdoing, which included allegations that plaintiffs were injured by police during the protests.
“This settlement resolves the majority of the remaining claims arising out of the 2020 demonstration period and is a big step toward allowing the City to focus on the important work of today, while moving forward from events four years ago,” said Davison.
According to the firm of Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore, which represented the protesters, they were all engaged in First Amendment speech and activity.
Among those represented in the lawsuit, according to the law firm, was Aubreanna Indo, who was hit in the chest by a blast ball, sending her into cardiac arrest. Other people injured include a man officers piled on, causing a seizure and coma, a teenager who last part of their finger and others who allegedly suffered physical and/or emotional damage.
Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood was the center of racial justice protests. People took to the streets for days as part of a nationwide conversation around race and policing.
By early 2021, the Seattle Office of Police Accountability had received more than 19,000 complaints about police misconduct during protests. The agency would release batches of reports and policy change recommendations.
"In preparing the case, we were struck by how the police dehumanized the protesters," a prepared statement from Lead Attorney Karen Koehler states. "How quick to attack at the smallest provocation or suspicion. How many internal policies were not followed. Officers allowed to deploy gas and weaponry despite no specialized training."
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