DENVER | The Denver City Attorney’s Office has dismissed 320 cases involving people who were arrested for violating a curfew during the height of protests over the death of George Floyd.
The office released a statement Wednesday saying the city will contact those who were charged and offer them a chance to participate in a forum with the Denver Police Department and other city and community leaders “so their experiences and perspectives can be heard.”
City Attorney Kristin Bronson says she respects the value of peaceful protests and is dismissing the violations “as part of a non-punitive, restorative approach outside of the court system.”
The dismissals only apply to people who were solely charged with violating curfew, not those charged with additional crimes like vandalism and violence.
Mayor Michael Hancock ordered the overnight curfew May 30 after violent protests at the state Capitol the night before. He let the order expire as the nightly protests became more peaceful.
Floyd, a black man, died after a white Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into his neck even after he stopped moving and pleading for air, leading to the protests in Denver and cities across the U.S. and Europe.
