A reporter for the Eugene Weekly is suing the City of Eugene, members of the Eugene Police Department and the city manager.
On Tuesday, lawyers with the Civil Liberties Defense Center filed suit in U.S. Federal District Court in Eugene. They allege the city and five police officers violated the constitutional rights of Henry Houston when unidentified members of the E.P.D., in an armored vehicle, shot Houston with impact and chemical munitions. Houston said he clearly and repeatedly identified himself as media.
The incident occurred on May 31, during growing protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against systemic racism. That night, E.P.D. fired impact and chemical munitions from militarized vehicles at protesters. The suit also claims the E.P.D. implemented an unconstitutional curfew, but one that journalists were supposed to be exempt from.
In addition to the city, the suit individually names Eugene City Manager Sarah Medary, because she authorized the state of emergency and curfews.
