Austin settles two more lawsuits from May 2020 protest, has now paid $15 million

Austin has settled lawsuits with two more people injured by police in the May 2020 protests against police misconduct, once again dipping into taxpayer money to reconcile a mismanaged officer response to the downtown demonstrations.

On Thursday, the Austin City Council approved payments to Christen Warkoczewski for $850,000 and Tracy Cates for $100,000.

Firing shotguns with less-lethal bean bag munitions, police shot Warkoczewski, a marine biologist who grew up in West Lake Hills, as she ran off after placing a traffic cone over a police tear gas canister. She needed surgery to remove the munition from her face. Her lawyer said she's also dealing with post-traumatic stress.

Cates, a grandmother, suffered bruising after she was shot in the ankle with a bean bag munition.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/05/19/austin-settles-two-more-protest-lawsuits-now-paid-15-million/9843605002/