A federal judge ordered police in Columbus, Ohio, to halt using force, including tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets, against nonviolent protesters, saying law enforcement officers ran “amok” during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Judge Algenon Marbley of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted the motion for a preliminary injunction by the 26 plaintiffs who protested last summer, ruling that “unfortunately, some of the members of the Columbus Police Department had no regard for the rights secured by this bedrock principle of American democracy” and adding that Columbus police used force “indiscriminately” and without provocation amid widespread protests last May and June. The plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief, compensatory damages for injuries, punitive damages from department defendants, and attorneys’ fees, arguing their First and Fourth Amendment rights were infringed.
