Incident details
- Date of incident
- May 28, 2020
- Targets
- John Reed (Freelance)
- Case number
- 1:22-cv-01300
- Case status
- Settled
- Type of case
- Civil
- Assailant
- Law enforcement
- Was the journalist targeted?
- No
Assault
Denver police confront protesters outside the State Capitol in Denver on May 28, 2020, where officers shot freelance journalist John Reed in the buttocks with pepper balls.
Freelance journalist John Reed was shot in the buttocks with pepper balls by police in Denver, Colorado, while documenting a May 28, 2020, protest over the murder of George Floyd.
Reed, who was hit repeatedly with police projectiles over several days of demonstrations, later reached a settlement with the city over the incidents.
According to a 2022 complaint filed by Reed and a group of journalists and YouTubers who were documenting police activities, he was filming an individual getting arrested when Denver police allegedly started firing tear gas and crowd-control munitions indiscriminately into the crowd.
Reed had to run through tear gas to escape, the complaint said. Approximately 30 minutes later, without any warning or an opportunity to disperse, officers fired more tear gas and shot pepper balls indiscriminately into the crowd without distinguishing protesters from members of the press, again engulfing Reed in tear gas.
After police fired additional rounds of tear gas and pepper balls, Reed was struck in the buttocks by pepper balls while trying to retreat, the complaint added.
In a video posted to his YouTube account, Reed is documenting officers shooting pepper balls at the people standing on the corner of the street. A few seconds later, Reed is heard saying, “I just got hit in the ass.”
The suit added that later that evening, Reed, who sells footage to media outlets, was walking toward a Denver police squad car when an officer used his side light to try to blind his camera to prevent him from filming.
The Denver City Council ultimately approved a $398,500 settlement in the case on June 9, 2025, with Reed settling for $77,500.
Also part of the settlement was a separate case involving a photojournalist struck by pepper balls two days later, while also documenting a protest.
Since 2020, the city has paid approximately $18.3 million in settlements related to lawsuits against Denver police officers for their actions during the protests.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
