Seattle has reached an agreement to provide a compensation of $10 million to a group of individuals associated with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement who claimed to have been protesting the death of George Floyd in 2020.
The city, which is under Democratic control, has announced that this settlement will be funded by taxpayers and will be distributed among 50 individuals who allege that they were injured by the police during the riots. In a press release, Seattle officials have clarified that this settlement does not imply any admission of wrongdoing on their part. Rather, they are highlighting the strain that the litigation process has placed on the city.
During the summer of 2020, the BLM movement, which has Marxist leanings, organized nationwide riots in response to Floyd’s death. It is important to note that Floyd, who had a criminal record, died due to a fentanyl overdose while in the custody of the Minneapolis police.
These riots resulted in the destruction of local communities, with acts of vandalism, arson, and looting being carried out by certain individuals. In response to the violent nature of these riots, the police had to employ non-lethal force to maintain order and protect the public.
“This settlement resolves the majority of the remaining claims arising out of the 2020 demonstration period and is a big step toward allowing the City to focus on the important work of today while moving forward from events four years ago,” Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison said.
The Seattle Times reported that the plaintiffs and the city reached a settlement after a series of private meetings. The riots that occurred in Seattle following Floyd’s death caused extensive property damage, bodily harm, and loss of life. Rioters took control of six city blocks and established the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) after the police had withdrawn from the surrounding areas of the precinct building.
While the protesters occupied this section of the city, law enforcement was unable to enter, resulting in multiple shootings and two fatalities. The city agreed to compensate businesses that suffered property damage during the CHAZ occupation, but the amount was significantly lower than what the protesters received.
In one particular incident, rioters retrieved AR-15s from an abandoned police cruiser, but they were disarmed by a private security guard who was collaborating with a local news outlet. The Seattle Times reported instances of protesters assaulting individuals, committing arson, looting businesses, and causing property damage during the BLM riots in Seattle.
The city contended that the injured protesters willingly accepted the possibility of getting hurt by participating in the tumultuous demonstrations. Nevertheless, a judge who was considered to be socially aware dismissed this claim, as reported by The Seattle Times.
Karen Koehler, the lawyer representing the rioters who engaged in violence, referred to the police as “punks” and accused them of subjecting peaceful protestors to brutality.
According to The Seattle Times, a $10 million settlement will be divided equally among the 50 plaintiffs, resulting in a sum of $200,000 for each individual.
The legal dispute between the city and the protestors had been ongoing for a period of three years.
“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 on Wednesday.
According to a press release issued by the city, the case involved an extensive review of millions of documents, over 10,000 records, numerous interviews, and countless interactions between the police and the plaintiffs.