(The Center Square) – Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison announced that the city has reached a settlement agreement with 50-plus plaintiffs related to the George Floyd protests in 2020.
After nearly four years, the city settled the case for $10 million on Jan. 23.
“This decision was the best financial decision for the city considering risk, cost, and insurance,” Davison said in a statement.
The Adberg, et al. v. City of Seattle case was brought on due to complaints for damages on behalf of Black Lives Matter protestors for wrongful death, personal injuries, civil rights violations, and public records act violations during the protests in mid-2020.
More than 50 protestors initiated the lawsuit in September 2020, alleging injuries sustained during the protests, including Zoe Adberg.
When Adberg and a group of protesters arrived at the Seattle Police Department headquarters during the protest, officers began launching gas canisters and blast balls. According to the lawsuit, a blast ball struck Adberg’s left foot and then exploded, injuring her foot. Her shoe was scorched from the explosion.
The case involved hundreds of interactions between the plaintiffs and law enforcement officers, over a million pages of records, more than 10,000 videos and hundreds of witness interviews, according to the Seattle City Attorney’s Office.
“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,” Davison said.
Davison added that the $10 million settlement with the protestors resolves the majority of the remaining claims arising out of the 2020 demonstration period.
“[The settlement] 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.
