Portland to pay out $300,000 to agitator allegedly assaulted by police during 2020 riot

Portland has approved a $300,000 settlement with a man who alleged that a police officer assaulted him during the Black Lives Matter riots that rocked the city in 2020.

According to KOIN, court documents revealed that Judge Judith Matarazzo dismissed the case in September "due to pending settlement or lack of prosecution."

Portland City Council on Wednesday disclosed that the Risk Management Services had determined that the city may be liable in the incident, in which Michael Weisdorf alleged that he was at a nonviolent protest in July of 2020 when police arrived and ordered people to leave, declaring the event a riot.

According to Oregon Live, on the night of July 18, 2020, Weisdorf and others marched to the Portland Police Association headquarters, where one person lit a fire in the building’s lobby.

Weisdorf claimed that he went to leave the area, but officers "knocked him to the ground," accusing them of knocking him to the ground a second time when he went to get back on his feet. Weisdorf filed the complaint in August of 2020.

“With considerable difficulty, plaintiff again got up, and continued heading eastbound as the police continued to advance on protestors, wielding batons and threatening use of crowd control munitions,” the court documents stated.

Weisdorf said the officers did not attempt to arrest him, and caused several injuries that included bruises, swelling, and a displacement fracture in his forearm which required surgery.

He had initially requested $500,000 for non-economic damages, claiming that he could "permanently suffer from pain, discomfort, disability, humiliation, increased susceptibility to arthritis, and fear of police," as well as $30,000 to cover his medical expenses.

Portland City Council has directed the mayor and city auditor to pay the $300,000 in a settlement agreement.

“The City Attorney’s Office believes this mutually agreed upon settlement is in the interest of all parties,” City Attorney Robert Taylor said in a statement.

Portland experienced over 100 consecutive nights of rioting after the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. Destruction of the city included attempts to burn down the city’s courthouse and a police station, and destruction to storefronts.