Court Rejects Call for Injunction on Sacramento Police Reform Protests

Almost five years after former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin fatally restrained George Floyd, a federal judge denied protests’ accountability requests against Sacramento Police on May 20. Six plaintiffs sought damages and permanent injunctive relief, citing violations of their First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights due to the police's excessive force and inadequate training. The proposed injunction aimed to reform police protest response, limiting dispersal orders and arrests to imminent threats. While the court awarded $350,000 for injuries, Judge John Mendez noted insufficient evidence to justify future injunctions, acknowledging SPD's policy adjustments since 2020. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs expressed discouragement over the denied reforms yet highlighted the court's critique of the SPD's past misconduct as a significant condemnation of systemic issues.