(FixThisNation.com) – In September 2020, a lawsuit titled Adberg et al. v. City of Seattle was initiated in response to the demonstrations that occurred after George Floyd’s death. Recently, Seattle’s City Attorney, Ann Davison, agreed to a settlement of this lawsuit. The city will pay $10 million to resolve the claims made by the plaintiffs.
Davison explained that this settlement is financially prudent for Seattle, considering the risks and costs involved, as well as insurance considerations. The lawsuit has been a considerable burden on the city’s resources and time. Continuing the case would have entailed a three-month trial scheduled to start in May.
It’s important to note that the city did not admit to any wrongdoing in this agreement. The lawsuit was filed by over 50 demonstrators, including Zoe Adberg, who claimed they were injured during the protests. The incident involving Adberg occurred at the Seattle Police Department headquarters, where she was allegedly hit and injured by a blast ball launched by officers. This lawsuit involved a massive amount of evidence, including hundreds of interactions between protesters and police, over a million pages of records, thousands of videos, numerous witness interviews, and extensive legal documents.
Karen Koehler, the leading attorney for the plaintiffs, commented on the apparent dehumanization of the protesters by the police and the swift, aggressive responses to minor provocations. She also noted the frequent disregard for internal police policies.
This settlement follows another significant payout by the City of Seattle nearly a year ago, where over $3 million was paid to local business owners for damages incurred during the 2020 summer protests and the city’s failure to protect these businesses.
In her statement, Davison emphasized that this settlement closes most of the remaining claims from the demonstrations in 2020. This resolution is a significant step for Seattle, allowing it to move forward from these events and focus on current priorities.
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