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Columbus City Council approves $5.75M settlement with people injured in 2020 protests

Part of the settlement includes an injunction that bars Columbus police from using non-lethal but dangerous weapons against non-violent protesters.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Council approved a $5.75 million settlement Monday night with protesters who were injured in the summer of 2020.

The City said they reached an agreement last week and council needed to vote to approve the settlement.

The protesters who sued the city of Columbus alleged they were exposed to more violence. A federal lawsuit showed at least three protesters said they were treated for broken bones.

The protests came days after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd during a detainment last year.

Part of the settlement includes an injunction that bars Columbus police from using chemical sprays, wooden bullets, kettling techniques that restrict movement or other types of use of force against non-violent protesters.

While water bottles, angry words and vandalism were also part of the equation in that final weekend of May 2020, attorney Fred Gittes told reporters that police’s response to the protests in essence punished the masses for the sins of the few.

“What we saw in this case … was collective punishment. Because a few people got out of line, thousands got punished. That’s not good law enforcement; it doesn’t make any sense,” Gittes said.

During a news conference Friday, three of 32 plaintiffs spoke to reporters.

Among them was Bernadette Calvey, who said she had never been to a protest before but supported Black Lives Matter and went to the Short North. She says protesters she gathered around were just standing there when police used a less-than-lethal force of wooden bullets on the crowd. One of the projectiles struck her in the face.

“It was very scary and I couldn’t imagine it all. Everyone was standing there and they just opened fire into the crowd and my jaw absorbed a lot of the impact I couldn’t eat for like the next two weeks,” Calvey said.

The lead plaintiff, Tammy Alsaada, told reporters that she had participated in the city’s community advisory board for police previously and did attend the protests that weekend. She said she too was exposed to chemical sprays. She said she was pleased with the settlement and the permanent injunction.

“The abuse is unacceptable. And police must be held accountable. They must be held accountable. For what happened to all of us,” Alsaada said.

Reached for comment Friday, Brian Steel, vice president of the local FOP Capital City Lodge said that “if the city wants to pay $5.75 million for (people) destroying the city, that’s on them.”

Steel went on to say that he thinks the change strips tools from officers to conduct crowd control.

"Many Columbus Division of Police officers did perform their jobs professionally during that time, but this litigation highlighted serious issues that must be addressed," Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein wrote in a release last week.

Attorney John Marshall, a lead attorney for the protesters in the lawsuit, said, “The injunction mandates that peaceful protestors on city streets and sidewalks cannot be subjected to uses of force, arrests, or dispersal orders except in extraordinary circumstances. It also includes special protections for street medics, reporters, and legal observers.”

The settlement amount will come from the city's general fund account.

Director of Public Safety Robert Clark released the following statement last week about the settlement:

“We have implemented significant changes in protest response and training since last year’s protests. We recognize what a painful chapter this has been for everyone involved, including the women and men of the Columbus Division of Police and the community we serve. Before there can be healing, there must be accountability. Where we have missed the mark and relationships have been damaged, we must strive to make it right. This settlement is a step toward that, while also protecting the interests of Columbus taxpayers.”

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