Denver takes $4.7 million from reserves to pay police lawsuit settlements

The George Floyd protests during the summer of 2020 have led to several lawsuits against the Denver Police Department.Photo byColin Lloyd/Unsplash

The Denver City Council voted Monday to take $4.7 million from the general fund reserves to cover the cost of legal settlements.

The majority of Denver’s legal settlements involve the police department. Earlier this month, the city paid out $135,000 in police settlements. Last month, the city paid a man $350,000 after he claimed Denver police violated his rectum with a police baton. In March, the city settled half a dozen lawsuits totaling $1.6 million.

Since 2010, Denver has paid out about $28 million in settlements, according to a city staff report.

According to a memo from the city’s budget and management office to the City Council, so far this year $3 million has been spent from the liability and claims fund. The fund started the year with about $3.4 million, which included a $2 million transfer from the general fund. Earlier this year the council transferred another $2.2 million from the general fund.

Latest settlement for $45,000

The council paid out yet another settlement Monday stemming from a lawsuit involving the police department. Rebecca Allison Clark will receive $45,000. She sued police officers Raelene Norris, Greg Dulayev and John Doe as well as the City and County of Denver and Denver District Attorney's Office. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, Case No. 21-CV-00455-GPG-NRN.

Dulayev also was named in the incident involving the man who claimed police violated his rectum with a police baton.

The item appears on the City Council's consent calendar. Items on the consent calendar are considered routine and generally approved without discussion in a block vote.

According to KDVR, Clark sued Dulayev for his alleged use of force during the same July 2020 protest where the alleged baton incident occurred. “She told FOX31 she was pulled from her car while she was trying to deliver medical supplies and pick people up,” KDVR reported. “In her lawsuit, Clark claims body camera footage shows that Dulayev hit her in the neck with his baton.”

“They can’t just pull people out of the car and make up probable cause for the arrest,” Clark told KDVR.