Nov 20, 2024 - News

Portland to pay $400K in suit over excessive police force

Meira Gebel

A photo of a group of police officers dressed in protective riot gear in a single line in front of a white marble column building. — Portland police and Oregon state troopers disperse a crowd of protesters in 2020. Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images

The Portland City Council authorized a $400,000 payout Wednesday to settle a lawsuit from a disabled protester who accused Portland Police Bureau officers of using excessive force against him during racial justice protests in 2020.

Why it matters: The settlement is the largest single payout by the city tied to the 2020 protest lawsuits and highlights the growing financial and legal consequences regarding police misconduct.

Context: Dustin Ferreira, who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta and uses a wheelchair, claimed his rights were violated when an officer kicked his wheelchair and pushed his back when attempting to clear protesters from a sidewalk in North Portland in September 2020.

Ferreira, 40, was arrested on charges of interfering with an officer, disorderly conduct, and menacing, but the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office decided not to prosecute him.
In his lawsuit over the encounter, Ferreira made a vulnerable-person claim, which under Oregon law allows for triple damages. An internal investigation of the lawsuit concluded the city was at risk of being found liable and recommended a compromise.

The bottom line: The settlement could set a precedent for future excessive police force lawsuits.

The city has already paid out more than $3 million in claims related to police encounters with protesters, per the Oregonian.

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Portland to pay $400K in suit over excessive police force

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