The city of Seattle will pay $10 million - as a result of a settlement - to 50 Black Lives Matter members who sued the Police Department alleging that officers used "excessive force" against offenders who vandalized the city with street terrorism in 2020.
The complaint included more than one million pages of records, hundreds of witness interviews, more than 10,000 videos evidencing the events, and direct interactions between the plaintiffs and law enforcement officers.
A three-month trial is scheduled to begin in May. City Attorney Ann Davison stated that the "decision was the best financial decision for the City considering risk, cost and insurance," as the lawsuit had resulted in a "significant waste" of time and resources:
The case has been a significant waste of City time and resources and would have remained so during an estimated three-month trial that was scheduled to begin in May. This settlement resolves most of the remaining claims arising from the 2020 demonstration period and is a major step in allowing the City to focus on the important work of today, while moving forward with respect to the events of four years ago.
Street terrorism in 2020
Street terrorism carried out by BLM members resulted in the destruction of many local businesses and even injuries and deaths. In February 2023, the city agreed to pay $3.6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen business owners and residents who suffered damages due to the criminals.
Attorneys for both sides claimed that "dozens of people suffered permanent hearing loss, broken bones, concussions, injuries, bruises and emotional damage" as a result of the riots.
