This class action lawsuit was filed on June 18, 2020 in the U.S. District for the Eastern District of California. The suit came after police in Sacramento, California allegedly used illegal tactics in an effort to disrupt protests that occurred after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Plaintiffs, represented by private counsel, were several Sacramento residents who were injured during the protests; the defendants were the City of Sacramento, the Sacramento Police Department (SPD), one named officer, and 125 Does (public employees and agents). The lawsuit had eleven different claims, including violations of the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution under § 1983, violations of the California state constitution, and violations of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Bane Act. The plaintiffs sought a preliminary and permanent injunction preventing the defendants from engaging in the behavior allegedly in violation of the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution, as well as compensatory, punitive, and special damages, and attorneys' fees and costs.

On August 14, the plaintiffs amended the complaint. They added numerous plaintiffs and also added a section explaining how each plaintiff exhausted their administrative remedies by submitting government claims to the City of Sacramento and Sacramento Police Departments. The plaintiffs also added tort claims under state law, alleging assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. The factual allegations and sought after relief largely stayed the same.

The case is ongoing as of January 2, 2021.

Jack Hibbard - 07/20/2020
Emily Kempa - 01/02/2021


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