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The plaintiffs who filed a class action lawsuit against the City of Santa Rosa after being injured by police actions during a George Floyd protest have secured a $1.9 million settlement, according to a Friday announcement by the city.
The settlement was approved by a federal court judge in a closed hearing held on April 20, 2021, reports local CBS affiliate KPIX 5.
Lead plaintiffs Marqus Martinez and Michaela Staggs originally filed the lawsuit claiming they had been subjected to tear gas and projectiles launched by members of the Santa Rosa Police Department when they participated in a May 30 Black Lives Matter demonstration. They were later joined by three other plaintiffs who claimed they had also been injured by police brutality.
“There were no defined rules of engagement; officers were left to their own individual subjective determinations of when to engage civilians with force, which is wildly unconstitutional,” the lawyer representing the plaintiffs told local reporters.
The Santa Rosa Police Chief Tainer Navarro reportedly declined to comment on the $1.9 million class action settlement, but he admitted to making mistakes in the department’s response to the three days of protests that resulted in the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and other projectiles being used on peaceful demonstrators.
“Did we make errors? Yes, we did,” Navarro told reporters. “But we have committed to correcting everything we can to ensure that those don’t happen again. We are committed to this process.”
The mayor of Santa Rosa, Chris Rogers, commented to the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat about the settlement on Friday.
“I think (the community) will see that the city is trying to own up to what they didn’t do well,” Rogers told the paper. “Now it’s time to have a conversation about policy reforms.”
The class action lawsuit, filed in California federal court in June, sought to represent all demonstrators who participated or intended to participate in the protests beginning May 30 in Santa Rosa.
Have you been injured by police while protesting? Tell us your story in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Izaak D. Schwaiger of the Schwaiger Law Firm and John H. Scott of the Scott Law Firm.
The Santa Rosa Class Action Lawsuit is Marqus Martinez and Michaela Staggs, et al. v. City of Santa Rosa and Rainer “Ray” Navarro, Case No. 3:20-cv-04135, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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5 thoughts on$1.9M Settlement in Police Brutality Class Action Lawsuit Filed by George Floyd Protesters
The businesses burned and windows broke and looted need to sue these protestors getting money for destroying cities!! I can’t believe any judge would sign off on this crap!!!
Please add me, my daughter and I were there. Santa Rosa Police Department when they participated in a May 30 Black Lives Matter demonstration.
Why should she get money??? Just another shit show of a lazy pos getting money they do not deserve! Protestors should be in jail not getting free money, they already got get out of jail card free
please add me
Please add me