Racial Justice Activists Awarded $14 Million in Landmark Case Against Denver Police

A federal court jury on Friday awarded $14 million to a dozen activists who sued Denver police, claiming excessive force was used against peaceful protesters during racial injustice demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in 2020.

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The lawsuit, filed in June 2020, led a federal judge to issue a temporary injunction barring police in Denver from using tear gas, plastic bullets, flash-bang grenades and other “less-than-lethal” force unless approved by a senior officer in response to specific acts of violence.

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While the lawsuit brought by Denver activists acknowledged that some protesters engaged in lawless behavior, it said the vast majority were peaceful and accused police of engaging in heavy-handed riot-control tactics without issuing clear warnings and orders to disperse.

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A lawyer defending the city, Lindsay Jordan, argued that police had to make split-second decisions in a chaotic situation. Some protesters, Jordan said, started fires and broke windows in the state Supreme Court building and a nearby museum.

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In a statement issued following the verdict, the city’s Department of Public Safety, which oversees the police department, said officers had made mistakes, but the protests were “unprecedented” in scope.

“The city had never seen that level of sustained violence and destruction before,” the statement said.

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