Relman Colfax has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging the excessive use of force and suppression of free speech by the District of Columbia in response to the mass arrest of peaceful “Black Lives Matter” protesters on Swann Street on June 1, 2020. The Firm represents eight individuals who peacefully protested to demand an end to the systemic racism and police brutality that have taken the lives of George Floyd, Tony McDade, and so many other Black Americans.
Following the death on May 25, 2020, of George Floyd—an unarmed Black man who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck as he repeatedly cried out, “I can’t breathe”—Black Lives Matter protests against racist police violence spread across the world. Protestors were still mourning that tragic loss of life when Tony McDade, a Black transgender man, was shot and killed by Tallahassee police on May 29, 2020.
On June 1, 2020, thousands took to the streets of Washington, DC to demonstrate against racism and police brutality. This suit alleges that, although the protesters were peaceful, the District of Columbia and its policymakers, including then-Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham, responded to protest activities with excessive force and violence. On the night of June 1, police officers “kettled” protesters by enclosing the 1400 block of Swann Street NW on either side. Once protesters were trapped inside the kettle, officers indiscriminately deployed pepper spray and used their shields, batons, and hands to push, strike, and beat demonstrators. Though some homes on the street voluntarily opened their doors to let protestors take shelter inside, other protesters were detained for hours on the street before being arrested for curfew violations; forced into painful zip tie handcuffs; transported to an off-site police facility; crammed into packed rooms with other detainees; and denied access to food, water, and bathrooms until their release the following morning.
This suit seeks redress for the constitutional injuries and emotional distress suffered by Plaintiffs.
The Relman Colfax case team includes Jia Cobb, Gabriel Diaz, Tahir Duckett, and Kali Schellenberg, with paralegal assistance from Olivia Fritz and Brianna Terrell.