PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland City Council unanimously approved another lawsuit settlement related to the 2020 protests during its Feb. 22 meeting in council chambers.
The lawsuit was filed by Multnomah County resident Jacob Johnson on July 29, 2022, two years after Johnson says he was injured by Portland Police Bureau officers while covering a protest as an independent journalist outside the Penumbra Kelly Building in East Portland on Aug. 1, 2020. According to the lawsuit, a PPB officer shoved Johnson with a baton during the protest, causing him to fall into a bush. Another PPB officer slammed Johnson face-first onto a car hood while a separate officer pepper-sprayed his face, the lawsuit stated.
“In the immediate aftermath of being pepper-sprayed, [Johnson’s] face felt like it was on fire,” the suit reads.
The suit initially sought $50,750 in damages for bodily injury, pain and mental and emotional harm that Johnson allegedly suffered following his interaction with PPB officers. Court documents show that Johnson and the City of Portland reached an early settlement of $13,750 in November, which the Portland City Council officially approved at Wednesday’s meeting.
The Portland City Council has settled a number of lawsuits as a result of the publicized clashes between PPB officers and protesters during the 2020 protests, including a $75,000 settlement that was approved on Jan. 18.
The Johnson settlement was initially set to be approved as part of the council’s consent agenda. However, Citizen Marc Poris of the local police accountability group Portland Cop Watch had the item pulled from the consent agenda for discussion. During the meeting, Poris said that he hoped his discussion would spark public discussion among city council members about the lawsuit.
“Portland Cop Watch will continue to attempt to get you to engage and discuss the underlying policy issues when these settlements come before you,” Poris said. “At least until we have a police bureau free of brutality, corruption and racism.”
The city council offered no input before approving the item and adjourning the morning session.