SEATTLE — The City of Seattle will pay Capitol Hill residents and businesses $3.6 million to settle a lawsuit brought on over how the city handled the CHOP protest zone in 2020.
In a statement, plaintiff Attorney Angelo Calfo said residents and businesses will be "compensated for the city's mishandling of CHOP that resulted in a significant increase in crime and even loss of life." Additionally, Calfo said the lawsuit exposed a cover-up that high-ranking officials destroyed text communications.
A statement from City Attorney Anne Davison read, "I am pleased that we were able to resolve this matter and turn a page from a difficult period in the city's history."
More than a dozen businesses, property owners and residents sued the City of Seattle in June 2020 for damages. The lawsuit said the city's policies "effectively authorized the actions of the CHOP participants."
The businesses in the suit said they wanted to hold the city accountable for its part in allowing violence, including deadly shootings, assaults, noise pollution, and property damage.
The protests and creation of CHOP followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In October, an Office of Inspector General report identified critical errors by the city and Seattle Police Department leading up to and during CHOP. The report found some of their decisions "eroded public trust" and led to "poor policing outcomes."
The city has faced several other lawsuits related to CHOP, including from the family of Horace Lorenzo Anderson, who was shot and killed in the protest zone.