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DENVER — 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.
The verdict, delivered after about three hours of jury deliberations, capped a three-week trial in U.S. District Court in Denver.
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.
The death of Floyd, an unarmed Black man, during his arrest in Minneapolis by a white officer kneeling on his neck for nine minutes, ignited protests against police brutality and racial injustice in the summer of 2020 in cities across the country, including Denver.
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.
