$2.4M to be Paid to Man Shot in Eye During Floyd Protests

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis man who lost an eye when he was hit by a projectile fired by police during protests that followed George Floyd’s killing will get a $2.4 million settlement.

Soren Stevenson, 27, was in a large group of people standing in a grassy area near an interstate on-ramp when he was hit by a 40 mm projectile on May 31, 2020.

Stevenson told reporters Wednesday in an interview at his attorneys’ offices that he believed a SWAT officer fired directly at his face.

“I did not riot, I did not vandalize, I caused no damage to people or property, did not even disobey police orders,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson now wears an eye patch over a prosthetic eye.

“It took me a long time to get a job even though I was well qualified because it’s pretty hard to look at a computer screen with one eye after having two,” Stevenson said. “Merging left onto the freeway is an extremely dangerous task that I do frequently.”

The city did not admit liability in the case. A spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment, including whether the officer involved was disciplined and remains with the department.

The cost to the city will rise, with the man’s attorneys saying they will seek legal fees of $1 million or more. The court will set fees.