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Despite protesting peacefully and complying with police, the four protesters were allegedly struck with batons and pepper-sprayed.
Demonstrators rally outside the Massachusetts State House during the May 31, 2020 protest that prompted the lawsuit. Blake Nissen/The Boston Globe
The City of Boston has agreed to an $850,000 settlement in a federal lawsuit brought by four protesters who alleged they were beaten and pepper-sprayed by Boston police officers during a 2020 demonstration.
The payment settles claims brought by Jasmine Huffman, Justin Ackers, Caitlyn Hall, and Benjamin Chambers-Maher, their attorneys announced Thursday in a press release. The altercations between the four protesters and three Boston police officers occurred May 31, 2020 during a protest at Boston Common organized in response to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“What happened that night will always be with me, but I am grateful that I was able to bring these issues to the federal court,” Huffman said in the release. “I hope that the outcome leads to meaningful reform within the Boston Police Department.”
The lawsuit was filed in June 2021, alleging “excessive and unnecessary force” by Officers Michael Burke, Edward Nolan, and Michael McManus. Three protesters said they were hit with wooden riot batons, and two said they were pepper-sprayed despite peacefully protesting and lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights.
In addition to the three officers involved, the plaintiffs also sued the city for “its policies, customs and practices in handling protest demonstrations.” A complaint filed in federal court alleged that Boston police ignored proper protest protocols, went unsupervised, and tolerated excessive force by failing to report misconduct.
These allegations were supported by video recordings of three out of the four plaintiffs being assaulted by police, some of which were captured in bodycam footage, the release said. Additionally, none of them were charged with any crimes.
“Our clients filed this lawsuit for the same reason they were on the Common that night in the first place: to stand up against police violence,” Mark Loevy-Reyes, an attorney representing the protesters. “The message sent today is the same one they were sending that night: we all have a right to expect better of our law enforcement officers.”
The City of Boston did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
Burke allegedly struck Ackers from behind with his baton and knocked him to the ground while he was attempting to leave the area, according to the complaint. The incident was captured on Burke’s bodycam.
Huffman was also struck by Burke’s baton and knocked to the ground despite raising her hands and taking a non-aggressive stance alongside other protesters. This incident was also captured in bodycam footage.
Earlier that night, Huffman allegedly defended a police officer who was surrounded by protesters and pressed up against his car, according to the complaint. She stood between the officer and the crowd, yelling out “Do not hurt this man!”
Hall was accosted by Nolan after she and other protesters left the scene and were stopped by a law enforcement blockade in Downtown Crossing. As the protesters stood with their arms raised, Nolan allegedly prepared to strike a man standing beside Hall with his baton, according to the complaint.
When Hall attempted to intervene, Nolan allegedly turned on her and beat her in the face and chest with his baton. Hall “briefly lost consciousness,” and the hit to her face caused her tooth to puncture her lip, the complaint states.
Chambers-Maher, a disabled veteran, was allegedly assaulted by McManus as he approached his car in an attempt to leave the protest. He began recording the scene when he noticed McManus and other officers riding toward him on bicycles “with weapons drawn,” according to the press release.
As Chambers-Maher backed away, he was pepper-sprayed twice in the face. McManus also allegedly used his police bicycle to strike him in the legs, the press release states.
Employee earnings data from the city indicates that, as of 2025, Burke and McManus are still employed at the Boston Police Department. Nolan is still certified as an officer but not currently employed by any police department, according to a database maintained by the state’s police oversight commission.
“Our clients were moved by a strong sense of justice to protest police violence,” Howard Friedman, another civil rights attorney representing the plaintiffs, said in the statement. “We are pleased that Boston saw the rightness of settling this lawsuit, and — as I have always hoped for in cases like these — that it will help lead to change and reform.”
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