DENVER (KDVR) – A lawsuit was filed against the City and County of Denver on behalf of Black Lives Matter 5280 (BLM 5280) and nine people who say they were injured by police during protests in late May and early June. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Colorado and Arnold & Porter filed the lawsuit in Federal District Court in Denver Thursday.

“Coloradans civilly protested to mourn the loss of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, Elijah McClain, De’Von Bailey and many others to police brutality — only to be met with excessive force in the form of tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets,” Dr. Alexander said, a clinical and forensic psychologist, professor at the University of Denver, a leader of BLM 5280 and a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

“In both circumstances, we are seeking accountability for these forms of aggressive and violent tactics. The indiscriminate carelessness at which these chemical and physical weapons were deployed toward protesters, journalists and medical professionals should never happen again.”

The lawsuit seeks an order banning Denver law enforcement from deploying tear gas and other “less lethal” weapons on peaceful protesters, as well as compensatory damages for violations of constitutional rights on behalf of BLM 5280 and nine plaintiffs.