(The Center Square) – Cincinnati taxpayers are on the hook for an $8.1 million settlement of a lawsuit stemming from the 2020 George Floyd-murder protests in the city.
City Manager Sheryl Long called the settlement of the class action suit a good financial decision. The Cincinnati City Council Public Safety and Governance Committee unanimously approved the settlement at a meeting Tuesday.
That vote pushes the settlement plan to the full council, which is expected to approve it.
“I am glad to have reached a settlement and am especially proud of our CPD officers and their willingness to continuously improve policies and procedures,” City Manager Sheryl Long said in a statement. “While the incidents that led to this case predate the current administration, we as city leaders must do everything we can to address the issues passed on to us so that they can be prevented in the future.”
Hamilton County will pay $65,000 of the settlement, with the city responsible for the rest for those arrested in 2020 during protests over Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer.
“This settlement results in positive changes to police policy and training,” plaintiff attorney Jacqueline Green said in a statement. “Our community will benefit from CPD’s commitment to these reforms, and we commend the city and county for taking this opportunity to acknowledge, protect, and work for the interests of the people.”
The settlement also allows for the city not to admit fault, but the city changed police procedures following the protests. There are new rules in police for how police respond to protests and how law enforcement and the courts handle mass arrests.
Charges were later dropped against the 479 people arrested, and protesters claim they were denied food and water, and officers used excessive force.
Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober told WLWT he thought the settlement made good financial sense but was critical of how the city handled things during the protests.
“It put the police in a terrible position,” Kober told WLWT. “They went out. They protected the city. They protected people from getting hurt. They allowed them to protest until the point where they just started to break the law, and then they made arrests. And, ultimately, this comes down to the law department fumbled this whole thing. And that’s why we are where we are today.”
