San Jose Settles Dollar 3 Million Excessive Police Force Case: Three years post George Floyd protests, San Jose City struck a deal with cops worth over $3 million. It was a huge deal. San Jose police fired rubber bullets at protesters, injuring many and causing one man to lose an eye.
Next month, the case was set for court, but the city opted to settle instead. The police said the protest was illegal. They used tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters. Due to Acosta’s eye injury, the sign was removed.
Rachel Lederman, the lead lawyer for the claims and a Center for Protest Law & Litigation member, expressed shock at the lack of accountability for the violence at these events.
After George Floyd died in 2020, protests erupted nationwide, including in San Jose, where similar police methods were used. Lederman said no officers were punished, and Internal Affairs stopped investigating to avoid blame.
Police claimed protesters were violent, but Acosta and 11 others in the lawsuit disagreed, stating police were not aggressive. The San Jose City Council settled with Acosta for $2.9 million, and the NAACP and other groups received an additional $450,000.
Rev. Jethroe Moore II of San Jose Silicon Valley NAACP advocates for increased freedom and power for police officers.
Lederman claimed Officer Yuen injured Acosta with a fake bullet. He showed a tape of Yuen being mean to protesters when he was in charge.
Lederman suggested changes for the San Jose Police Department. He said concerns about police violence and chaos can be addressed without guns.
As part of the deal, the City of San Jose did not admit wrongdoing, and the San Jose Police and the San Jose Police Officers Association did not comment.
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