Over-the-Rhine man arrested in his backyard during ’20 protests to settle lawsuit

A man who said Cincinnati police officers threw him to the ground in his backyard and charged him with violating a curfew during the 2020 unrest following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has agreed to settle a lawsuit against the officers, according to court documents.

On June 1, 2020, Christopher Neumann was in the backyard of his home on Mohawk Street in Over-the-Rhine, when he saw multiple officers, with their guns drawn, running towards him.

Neumann, who is 37, didn’t participate in any protests that day, the federal lawsuit says. In the days leading up to June 1, according to the lawsuit, he could hear people he assumed were protesters in the wooded area behind his home. He also had cleaned up debris, including glass.

At the time the officers ran towards him, according to the lawsuit, Neumann was setting up a surveillance camera because he was concerned about damage to his motorcycle.

Despite “clearly surrendering” and posing no threat, the lawsuit says the officers threw Neumann to the ground, injuring him.

Neumann said he told the officers he was on his own property and didn’t attend any protests.

An image from another surveillance camera on his property, shows Neumann with his hands raised as two officers run towards him.

The lawsuit says officers didn’t investigate to determine whether Neumann was on his property before taking him to jail. He was at the Hamilton County Justice Center from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. the next morning, according to the lawsuit.

He was charged with a misdemeanor, failing to obey an officer’s order at the scene of a riot or emergency.

In an affidavit charging Neumann with the crime, Officer Kellyanne Best said Neumann was violating the curfew order and “refused to comply with the lawful order to leave the area.” The lawsuit says those statements were false.

According to the lawsuit, Neumann spent at least $2,000 to hire an attorney to fight the charges. The lawsuit also says a chiropractor determined that the arrest exacerbated previous injuries including a pinched nerve in his back.