US Park Police face restrictions on use of non-lethal force to deal with protestors as part of settlement with DOJ

On Wednesday, the Department of Justice reached a settlement in four cases stemming from law enforcement response to a June 1, 2020, protest in Lafayette Park, located right next tot he White House.

According to a statement from the Department of Justice, the United States Park Police (USPP) and the United States Secret Service (USSS) have agreed as part of the settlement to update and clarify their policies regarding demonstrations, and to implement these policy changes within 30 days of the settlement.

According to Axios, the settlement resolves lawsuits brought on behalf of Black Lives Matter DC and 13 individual protestors by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), as well as other groups.

"The plaintiffs, Black Lives Matter D.C. and individuals who attended the protests, agreed to dismiss their claims for equitable relief against the United States," the Department of Justice wrote.

Changes will include more specific requirements for the visible identification of officers, limits on the usage of non-lethal force, strengthen pre-event planning and coordination, and procedures to facilitate safe crowd dispersal.

"The federal government is committed to the highest standards for protecting civil rights and civil liberties in any federal law enforcement response to public demonstrations," said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.

"These changes to agency policies for protest responses will strengthen our commitment to protecting and respecting constitutionally protected rights," Gupta added.

"From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the White House sidewalk, the National Park Service takes immense pride in caring for some of our nation’s most storied civic spaces," said director Chuck Sams of the National Park Service.

"We hope this updated policy can serve as a model for others to uphold civil rights and facilitate safe demonstrations. It is good for the public and good for our officers. The United States Park Police is committed to ensuring people can gather safely to express our most fundamental and cherished right to free speech. This updated policy is designed to be accessible and understandable to both our officers and the public, further strengthening that commitment," he continued.

"We appreciate the Park Police and Secret Service for their efforts to constantly review and revisit their law enforcement policies to evolve and protect those that seek to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights," said Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. "These revisions to our law enforcement partners’ policies will further protect those rights."

The new requirements also states that within the next 30 days, the USSS will "amend its policies to provide that the fact that some demonstrators have engaged in unlawful conduct does not ordinarily provide blanket grounds for use of force, crowd dispersal or declaration of unlawful assembly."

Police response to the June 1 protest held in the wake of George Floyd's death received backlash after they cleared the park with tear gas and batons shortly before then-President Donald Trump walked through the park to nearby St. John's Episcopal Church, whose property had been damaged by a fire during the civil unrest, for a photo op. Some had believed that police response was only for Trump's appearance.

It was later revealed though that police had planned to clear the park of protestors before they knew of Trump's visit.