Historic Settlement Reached in Lawsuit About NYPD's Brutal Crackdown of George Floyd Protestors

A historic agreement was announced yesterday, February 28, 2023 in a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of more than 300 protesters who were kettled and brutally assaulted by the NYPD during a protest in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx during a protest following the killing of George Floyd. According to the terms of the proposed settlement, the City of New York will pay each protester $21,500; and some will receive an additional $2,500. This is believed to be the highest per-person settlement in a mass arrest class action lawsuit in New York City history.

The New York Times and Gothamist, among other outlets, have covered the settlement.

On June 4, 2020, peaceful protesters gathered in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx in response to the killing of George Floyd to protest the role of police in upholding systemic racism. The NYPD in an operation planned by the highest levels of police officials, kettled protesters on East 136th Street between Brook Avenue and Brown Place and unleashed a brutal assault on more than 300 people, who were injured, arrested, and detained for hours.

“The violence unleashed upon us that night was intentional, unwarranted, and will be with me for the rest of my life. What the NYPD did, aided by the political powers of New York City, was an extreme abuse of power. While I am relieved that we have been able to secure some monetary restitution for those of us brutalized by the NYPD that night, nothing will change what happened to us and so many others suffering under the boot of the police in America,” Henry Wood, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said.

If the proposed settlement is approved by the Court at a hearing in October, each person trapped and attacked at the protest that night who submits a claim form should receive payment by the end of the year.

“The highest levels of the NYPD coordinated a pre-planned assault on peaceful protesters, and we're gratified that this historic settlement will provide some measure of justice to those who suffered from this brutality. We hope this historic award forces the City to finally account for how it polices peaceful demonstrations,” KLLF partner Ali Frick said.

Along with co-counsel, KLLF attorneys Ali Frick and Doug Lieb represent the Plaintiffs in this case.