Jurors on Friday found police used excessive force against protesters, violating their constitutional rights, during demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd two years ago, ordering the city to pay a total of $14 million in damages to a group of 12 who sued.
The jury of two men and six women, largely white and drawn from around Colorado, returned its verdict after about four hours of deliberations. The verdict followed three weeks of testimony and evidence that included police and protester video of incidents.
The protesters who sued were shot at or hit by everything from pepper spray to a Kevlar-bag filled with lead shot fired from a shotgun. Zach Packard, who was hit in the head by the shotgun blast and ended up in the intensive care unit, received the largest damage amount — $3 million. “Hopefully, what police departments will take from this is a jury of regular citizens takes these rights very seriously,” he said after the verdict.
During the trial, Denver admitted that mistakes were made at the protests, which it says were unprecedented in their size, duration and amount of violence and destruction. Over 80 officers were injured as protesters hurled rocks, water bottles and canned food at them, and the state Capitol, the hub of the protests, incurred $1.1 million in damage, according to the city. Lawyers for the protesters who sued stressed they were not accused of being violent themselves.
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Jury Awards $14M to George Floyd Protesters in DenverA jury has awarded $14 million in damages to protesters over the actions of police in Denver during demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd two years ago
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Jury awards $14M to George Floyd protesters in DenverA jury has awarded $14 million in damages to protesters over the actions of police in Denver during demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd two years ago
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Jury awards $14M to George Floyd protesters in DenverA jury has awarded $14 million in damages to protesters over the actions of police in Denver during demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd two years ago.
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Denver ordered to pay $14M to George Floyd protestersJurors found police used excessive force against protesters during demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd two years ago, ordering the city to pay a total of $14M in damages to a group of 12 people who sued.
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