Minneapolis OKs $950K payout to journalists injured by police during protests after George Floyd's murder

The Minneapolis City Council signed off Thursday on a nearly $1 million settlement with several news media members who sued in federal court after they were injured by police while covering protests in response to George Floyd's murder in 2020.

"We must protect journalists," said attorney Kevin Riach, who worked with the Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU-MN) in reaching the agreement. "Their work is critical to the health of our democracy. This settlement is an important step forward in holding the Minneapolis Police Department accountable for its unconstitutional conduct and ensuring that journalists can feel safe reporting in our city."

The $950,000 settlement, approved unanimously by the council, will be divided among lead plaintiff Jared Goyette, seven other journalists who were attacked by police, and the Communications Workers of America, the ACLU-MN said.

The settlement does not include the Police Department agreeing to make any reforms in how it treats journalists in the field.

City officials were asked Thursday to explain why they chose to pay the journalists rather than go to trial or seek to have the suit dismissed. Previously, the city contended that its police had not intended to injure two of the journalists who were cited in the lawsuit, saying the officers' actions were merely reckless.

"While this settlement is a crucial step toward protecting freedom of the press, we are troubled that the city of Minneapolis was unwilling to acknowledge any wrongdoing despite MPD's long history of excessive force," ACLU-MN Legal Director Teresa Nelson said. "There clearly is more work to be done. Journalists who are covering police brutality should never be met with more police brutality."

The suit was first brought by Jared Goyette, a freelance journalist. Others who joined the suit were Craig Lassig, a news photographer; Tannen Maury, a photojournalist; Stephen Maturen, a photojournalist; Katie Nelson, a journalist, photographer and videographer; Tim Evans, a photojournalist; Ed Ou, a photojournalist; and Chris Tuite, a photojournalist.

The lawsuit said Goyette was "shot in the face with less-lethal ballistic ammunition" by police on May 27, 2020, two days after Floyd's death under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Goyette was documenting protests near the 3rd Precinct police station. The suit also cited several instances in which Star Tribune reporters were detained or injured by law enforcement projectiles, although none are plaintiffs.

Goyette, currently reporting in Ukraine and Croatia, released a statement after the settlement that read, "I do not feel a sense of victory. ... There remains significant work to be done in terms of policy."

The ACLU-MN contended that law enforcement tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed and shot media members in the face with hard foam bullets, often without warning. The suit also alleged that police arrested journalists without cause and threatened them at gunpoint — even though they identified themselves as media members and were clearly reporting.

Star Tribune staff writer David Orrick contributed to this report.