Oregon protestors settle federal lawsuit in 2020 accusing agents of excessive force
Racial Justice Protesters In 2020, he reached a settlement with the federal government suing law enforcement agents sent by President Trump to guard a federal courthouse for using excessive force.
Under the settlement, the federal government must compensate the plaintiffs for injuries suffered at the hands of federal agents, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon said Tuesday.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the ACLU of Oregon for details on specific compensation amounts.
The plaintiffs include three military veterans, a college professor, several Black Lives Matter activists and a man who was barred from federal court in Portland when agents pulled him off the street without reason.
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On September 5, 2020, police use chemical provocations and crowd control devices to disperse protesters during riots in Portland, Oregon, sparked by the killing of George Floyd. (AP)
“We are proud to represent our brave clients,” ACLU of Oregon Legal Director Kelly Simon said in a news release. “They have suffered serious harm as a result of the illegal and brutal actions of federal law enforcement, and compensation is just and fair. Thank you to our clients and to all those who stand up for black lives and government tyranny. The ACLU of Oregon will stand by you again and again to ensure that everyone is treated with justice and fairness by the government.”
In the year In 2020, thousands of protesters took to the streets in Portland and across the country for months. Because of the killing of a police officer in Minneapolis, George Floyd. The demonstrators sometimes clashed with police, and federal agents with military force were ordered to Portland to quell the riots.
The suit alleges that federal agents exceeded their authority, using tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray in an attempt to stop the illegal arrests and violence. Almost all of the plaintiffs suffered physical injuries and some were treated in hospitals.
Federal officers in A group of protesters fire tear gas during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Oregon on July 26, 2020. (AP)
In the case, a video shows Christopher David, the plaintiff’s Marine veteran, being beaten outside the courthouse by an agent with a baton and another peppering his face. David broke two bones in his hand during the struggle.
The lawsuit alleges that current Acting Homeland Security Director Chad Wolf did not have the authority to send more than 100 agents to Portland because they were improperly appointed. Wolff resigned abruptly in 2021 — shortly before Trump leaves office — saying he was forced out by “recent events,” including court rulings that said his appointment was illegal.
A federal investigative report later found that militarized federal agents lacked proper training or equipment and had no plans to respond to protests without the help of local police.
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Protesters throw fireworks at police officers during a protest against police brutality near the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon on December 31, 2020. (Getty Images)
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Local police arrested hundreds of protesters in three months, and federal agents arrested nearly 100 more.
“The use of this level of force against veterans, mothers and other peaceful protesters is shocking. The way our own government treats us violates everything we learned in the military,” plaintiff and veteran Nicole Dennison said in a news release.
This is one of several lawsuits filed against the federal government by the ACLU of Oregon, including protesters and other groups, journalists and legal observers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
