DENVER, CO – The city of Denver will shell out $1.1 million to settle lawsuits from protesters who say police used excessive force against them during the George Floyd demonstrations in 2020, city officials announced Monday.
The settlement covers multiple plaintiffs who were injured when officers deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, and other crowd control weapons during the protests that erupted after Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police. It’s the latest in a string of payouts by cities across America dealing with the legal fallout from how law enforcement handled those turbulent weeks of civil unrest.
Denver’s already paid out millions in other protest-related settlements, and this latest agreement brings the total cost to taxpayers to nearly $5 million. That doesn’t include the ongoing legal fees or the costs of implementing police reforms that came out of those protests.
The plaintiffs in this case described being shot with rubber bullets while peacefully protesting, getting doused with tear gas without warning, and being trapped by police tactics that gave crowds no way to disperse. Some suffered serious injuries that required medical treatment, while others dealt with lasting trauma from their encounters with police.
“These weren’t rioters or looters – these were people exercising their First Amendment rights,” said an attorney representing the protesters. “The police response was completely disproportionate to what was happening on the ground.”
The Denver Police Department has maintained that officers were dealing with an unprecedented situation as protests turned violent in some areas, with property damage and attacks on police. They’ve pointed to reforms implemented since then, including new policies on crowd control and de-escalation training.
But for many who were in those crowds, the settlement money doesn’t erase what happened. Several protesters who received payouts said they’re still dealing with the physical and emotional aftermath of those confrontations. One plaintiff described ongoing anxiety attacks triggered by loud noises that remind them of flash-bang grenades.
The protests in Denver, like in many cities, started as peaceful gatherings to demand justice for Floyd and police accountability. But tensions escalated quickly, with some demonstrations devolving into confrontations between police and protesters. The images of tear gas clouds and protesters running from rubber bullets became defining moments of that summer.
City officials say they’ve learned from what happened and have made changes to how police handle protests. They’ve invested in new training, updated use-of-force policies, and created new oversight mechanisms. Whether those changes will prevent similar problems in the future remains to be seen.
The settlement requires city council approval but is expected to pass without much opposition. Council members have expressed frustration about the mounting costs but recognize the city’s legal exposure if these cases went to trial. Several similar lawsuits are still pending, meaning Denver taxpayers could be on the hook for millions more.
For the protesters who’ll receive compensation, it’s a bittersweet victory. The money acknowledges they were wronged, but many say they’d rather have seen more fundamental changes to policing than settlement checks. The real test will come the next time Denver faces large-scale protests – whether the lessons from 2020 actually stuck.
