CLDC has obtained a settlement for a medic who was assaulted by a Springfield police officer deployed in Eugene, Oregon, while providing street medic (or mutual aid) support to a protest rally the night after the Supreme Court issued the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

The protest took place outside of an anti-abortion fake pregnancy clinic. Such centers are associated with a vast network of organizations sometimes called “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) and often are far-right religious fronts that mislead and emotionally torment pregnant people, as they do not provide medically-staffed reproductive health or counseling services.

The protest was part of a nationwide “Night of Rage,” in which pro-choice activists expressed their anger and called on lawmakers to do more to preserve reproductive healthcare. When filing the lawsuit, our client said: “In the book The Punishings, the author H.R. Bellicosa wrote ‘Abortion is health care. Abortion is freedom. Abortion is bodily autonomy. A country without this human right is not a free country,’ and that resonates with me.”

Lead attorney Marianne Dugan explained, “Our complaint named both Officer Bragg and the City of Springfield, because the pattern of abuses exhibited by Bragg and other SPD officers indicates that the City is a motivating force behind such behavior, either through active training and guidance, or turning a blind eye, and ratifying its officers’ misbehaviors.” The lawsuit alleged excessive force, deliberate indifference to health and safety, and First Amendment retaliation, all in violation of the U.S. Constitution. “With so many municipalities claiming they have reformed their ways in the wake of the George Floyd uprisings, it was important to shine a spotlight on the continued abuses of police power in response to political protest,” Dugan concluded.

Our client was serving as a medic and observer on June 24, 2022, during the protest, when Eugene Police Department (EPD) requested support from nearby Springfield Police Department (SPD). SPD Officer Brian Bragg was among those who showed up and began yelling at and assaulting protesters and bystanders.

Our client is a long-time medical worker with experience providing medic care at protests. Acting with professionalism, they spoke with an EPD sergeant, who directed them where to stand while they observed and remained on standby should medical assistance be needed. Our client remained kitty-corner from the anti-abortion center, wearing clear markings that identified their role as a medic.

As soon as SPD arrived, it escalated the situation with physical force and created a chaotic scene. “The simple fact that SPD has a history of being physically violent with people exercising their First Amendment rights needs to be rectified,” said our client. SPD showed up and began to shove people off sidewalks, despite clear instructions from EDP to remain on the sidewalks, creating a confusing situation that was escalatory and confrontational.

Officer Bragg deployed aggressive and violent tactics, focusing his ire on our client, who was standing by and complying with directions from EPD. Amid confusing directions to move off of the sidewalk as well as get on the sidewalk, Officer Bragg hit our client’s face and shoved his baton into our client’s sternum, hard.

After obtaining discovery in the case, CLDC beat back the defendants’ motion to dismiss the case, and a trial date was set for March 2025. It was only at that point that the city finally agreed to negotiate a fair settlement. Our hope is that this settlement will be one more straw on the back of the police state, even if it is not the one that breaks its back.

CLDC represents environmental and social justice activists in civil litigation where their rights have been violated by the State — whether police or other government agencies. Contact us through our website, or at info(at)cldc.org if you have a case you would like us to review.