City Reaches Massive Settlement With Wheelchair-Bound Protester

Portland is set to pay $400,000 to a wheelchair-bound protester in the largest settlement related to the 2020 protests involving city police.

At a Glance

Portland to approve $400,000 settlement with Dustin Ferreira over alleged excessive force during 2020-21 protests.
Ferreira, who uses a wheelchair, claims injury by police on September 28, 2020, and April 30, 2021.
Former Portland Police Sergeant Justin Damerville accused of kicking Ferreira’s wheelchair and forcibly restraining him.
Charges against Ferreira were dropped, raising questions about police conduct.
The settlement is part of over $3 million paid by Portland for police actions during 2020 protests.

Portland’s Costly Settlement

The City of Portland is preparing to approve a $400,000 settlement with Dustin Brandon Ferreira, a wheelchair-bound protester known as “Wheels,” over allegations of excessive force by police during the 2020-21 protests. This settlement, reportedly the largest related to the 2020 protests involving Portland police, stems from incidents on September 28, 2020, and April 30, 2021, where Ferreira claims he was injured by law enforcement.

The case has drawn attention to police conduct during the protests that followed George Floyd’s death. Ferreira, who has brittle bone disease, alleged that former Portland Police Sergeant Justin Damerville used excessive force during his arrest, including kicking his wheelchair, spinning it around, and restraining him with zip ties.

It's the second six-figure 2020 protest settlement of the month for the City of Portland. https://t.co/y0yXzZAYaT

— KOIN News (@KOINNews) November 19, 2024

Conflicting Accounts and Legal Aftermath

While Ferreira maintains his arrest was unjust due to his physical constraints in complying with dispersal orders, former Sgt. Damerville stated that Ferreira was arrested for refusing to comply after the assembly was declared unlawful. The charges against Ferreira, including second-degree disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer, were subsequently dropped by Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt.

“No amount of money will ever fix or solve the amount of trauma that my community and myself experienced throughout that protest,” Ferreira stated, adding, “But what it does do is it allows me to live a little more comfortably.”

Ferreira’s attorney, Jason Kafoury, filed the complaint citing state laws protecting vulnerable individuals, suggesting potential tripled damages if misconduct is proven. Kafoury described the settlement as “the largest settlement of any of the 2020 protests with city Portland police.”

Broader Implications for Portland

This settlement is part of a larger pattern of scrutiny over law enforcement’s actions during the summer of 2020 protests. The Portland city attorney’s office has reported that the city has paid over $3 million in settlements related to police actions during the 2020 protests. Previous settlements have ranged from $60,000 to $300,000, indicating the significance of Ferreira’s case.

The Portland City Council is scheduled to vote on the settlement approval. This case, along with numerous other lawsuits faced by the city related to police conduct during the 2020 protests, continues to raise questions about law enforcement practices and accountability in Portland.