Fort Lauderdale Settles for $2M After Protester Injured by Rubber Bullet

LaToya Ratlieff suffered severe injuries during a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest, leading to a civil rights lawsuit and calls for police reform.

LaToya Ratlieff, 38, was struck in the face by a rubber bullet during a May 31, 2020, protest in Fort Lauderdale, resulting in a broken eye socket, nerve damage, and lasting physical and mental trauma.
The $2 million settlement resolves allegations that the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and Detective Eliezer Ramos used excessive force and violated Ratlieff's civil rights.
Ratlieff emphasized the importance of the settlement in holding the city accountable and advocating for broader police reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The police department's investigation cleared the officer involved, claiming he was targeting another individual when Ratlieff unintentionally entered the line of fire.
The case highlights ongoing national debates about police use of force during protests, as activists push for stricter regulations on non-lethal crowd control weapons.