By David Gutman
July 13, 2020

Twelve people, or their families, who were injured or killed in Seattle protests over the past six weeks, filed financial claims Monday against the city of Seattle, King County and Washington state, alleging excessive force by police or the failure of police to secure the safety of peaceful protesters.

The claims, which the city, county and state have 60 days to respond to, are the first step in filing lawsuits against the government. None of the claims ask for a specific dollar amount.

The claimants say they, or their loved ones, were hit by cars, shot, pepper sprayed, tear-gassed, put in choke holds or knocked unconscious. Seattle’s Office of Police Accountability has 28 separate investigations open regarding officers’ actions in the recent protests, several of which appear to overlap with the newly filed claims.

“There’s something wrong here, this is wrong, this is not how people who protest should be assisted,” said Karen Koehler, whose firm represents most of the claimants. “Police have escalated each and every situation.”

“Riot squad gear versus peaceful protester,” Koehler said. “Is that how you manage a peaceful protest?”

The protests, against systemic racism and police brutality, have helped propel a legislative push to cut half the funding of the Seattle Police Department and reinvest that money in social services and community programs.