Lincoln police who shot woman in face during protests sued
February 2, 2021 GMT
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) A civil liberties organization has sued the city of Lincoln, police and Lancaster County on behalf of a woman whose nose was nearly severed when an officer shot her in the face with a rubber bullet during protests over racial injustice last year.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska said Tuesday in a news release that it is seeking an unspecified amount in damages for 19-year-old Elise Poole.
The lawsuit says Poole was kneeling on a sidewalk as part of a Lincoln demonstration the night of May 31 following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. The lawsuit says that when Poole got up to flee tear gas directed at protesters, she was shot in the face with a rubber bullet at close range by a police officer.
Omaha – A lawsuit that accused Omaha police of using excessive force when they responded to last year’s protests against police brutality and racial injustice has been settled. The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska filed the lawsuit last fall challenging police tactics that included firing pepper balls at protesters and making mass arrests during [.]
January 7, 2021 GMT
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A lawsuit that accused Omaha police of using excessive force when they responded to last year’s protests against police brutality and racial injustice has been settled.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska filed the lawsuit last fall challenging police tactics that included firing pepper balls at protesters and making mass arrests during the protests in May, June and July. The lawsuit focused on a particular protest last July when more than 100 people were detained and held for hours in crowded cells at a jail that was battling a COVID-19 outbreak.
As part of the settlement, city officials agreed to drop all charges against the protesters and revise city ordinances to provide more protection for protests. The police department also agreed to ensure its officers are trained on when using chemical agents, such as pepper spray, is allowed. Police will also produce annual reports on its efforts to comply with the settlement.