Journalist who Denver police shot with rubber bullets rakes in $437,500

Protests rocked downtown Denver in summer 2020 over the death of George Floyd.Photo byColin LloydonUnsplash

A freelance journalist who police shot with rubber bullets during the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020 will receive a $437,500 payday.

The payoff appears on the City Council consent calendar for Monday. Items on the consent calendar are considered routine and generally pass in a block vote.

According to a lawsuit obtained by KUSA 9 News, Ambrose Cruz said as he videotaped the protest June 1, officers started firing tear gas at him and other protesters. The lawsuit says they ran toward a parking garage, “but discovered that both ends of the block were blocked off by armored vehicles and there was no exit.”

“Cruz ran up the stairs, and as he looked up, a defendant DPD officer shot him in the face with pepper balls,” the lawsuit says. “The defendant DPD officer hit him three times in the eye area and knocked his glasses off.”

The lawsuit continues, “A female defendant DPD officer told him, ‘If you don’t [expletive] get on the ground, I’m going to [expletive] kill you,” or words to that effect. Even though Cruz stopped and was on the ground, the other defendant DPD Officer continued firing pepper balls at him, including at the back of his head.”

Journalist jailed, taunted

The lawsuit says Cruz was arrested and placed in jail overnight. While he was in handcuffs, the lawsuit says “the defendant DPD officer who had been repeatedly firing pepper balls at Cruz at close range taunted him, saying things like ‘What happened to you? It looks like your wife beat you. I’d say that was two days old, this must have happened another night.’”

The payoff is just the latest in a string of settlements paid by the Denver Police Department. Last month, a man received $75,000 from police. He had been assaulted by police in his car while sitting peacefully in his church parking lot. In July, an activist and YouTuber for people experiencing homelessness shared a $100,000 settlement from the City of Denver with her husband after they accused police of violating their civil rights, according to the agenda for Monday's meeting. She also received a second settlement for $30,000, according to the agenda.

Millions distributed in police payouts

In June, the council awarded $500,000 in police and sheriff’s department settlements. The first, stemming from a lawsuit filed against the police department in U.S. District Court, case 2023 CV00750-RM-JPO, was for $100,000. The second settlement was for $400,000 to be paid to Scott Peters and stems from a prisoner’s civil rights allegedly being violated, according to Justia. According to Justia, the lawsuit lists as defendants the City and County of Denver, Daniel Rodriguez, John Doe 1, John Doe 2, John Doe 3-12, Mohammed Mohammed, Michael Fitzmaurice, James Casias, Billie Humbles, Daniel Trujillo, Ian Schiffhauer, Michael Bennett, Cherif Sarr and Noreen Roberson.

For the police lawsuit in U.S. District Court, case 2023 CV31159, the plaintiff is Lidya Ryans, and the defendants are Grisleit Blanco, Patrick Smith, and Christopher Brown.

Police settlements common

Police lawsuit settlements have become commonplace in Denver. In March, the council paid $20,000 to a man who alleged police falsely handcuffed him. In February, the council paid out $55,000 in settlements. In October, the council awarded $1.6 million to people injured in the summer 2020 protests of the death of George Floyd. In September, the council paid out more than $1.3 million in police settlements. A week earlier, Denver had paid out $1.1 million. In August, Denver paid out $4.7 million to people it had arrested for curfew during protests. In July, the city settled two lawsuits against the police department for $305,000. In May, Denver paid $135,000 to settle two claims against the police department. In April, the city paid a man $350,000 after he claimed Denver police violated his rectum with a police baton. In March, the city settled half a dozen lawsuits totaling $1.6 million.

Council members Lewis, Parady monitoring payouts

Council member Shontel Lewis said her office is tracking every dollar spent on legal settlements. She said in March that so far in 2024 the city has spent $2.4 million.

Council member Sarah Parady said her office is reaching out to plaintiffs of police lawsuits to see if there are policy changes that need to be made.

More than $37 million paid since 2010

With the latest settlement, Denver has paid out more than $36 million since 2010, including:

2010: $1.1 million.

2011: $2.3 million.

2012: $1.2 million.

2013: $606,000.

2014: $4.1 million.

2015: $1.7 million.

2016: $779,000.

2017: $7.9 million.

2018: $762,000.

2019: $1.5 million.

2020: $400,860.

2021: $1.8 million.

2022: $3.6 million.