Lincoln settles with woman injured during 2020 protest

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The city of Lincoln will pay $497,500 to a woman who says she was injured when police fired rubber bullets during racial justice protests in May 2020.

Elise Poole, who is now 20, alleged in a lawsuit that she was fleeing from tear gas fired by law enforcement officers at protesters near downtown Lincoln on May 31, 2020, when she was hit by a rubber bullet.

She required emergency surgery to reattach her nose and will require further surgery to regain normal breathing, according to her attorney.

Daniel Gutman, an attorney litigating the case on behalf of the ACLU of Nebraska, said the lawsuit successfully held law enforcement accountable for responding to peaceful protests with dangerous weapons, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.

City Attorney Yohance Christie said officials don’t know what caused Poole’s injury. He said gasoline, fireworks and other dangerous objects were thrown at officers during the May 29-June 1 protests and more than two dozen officers were injured.