Protester shot with rubber bullet by Fort Lauderdale cop awarded nearly $2M in settlement

A woman who was shot in the face with a rubber bullet fired by a Fort Lauderdale Police officer during a protest in 2020 was awarded nearly $2 million in a settlement with the city.

In May 2020, LaToya Ratlieff was tear-gassed while protesting the murder of George Floyd when she was hit in the face by the police officer’s rubber bullet.

"Relief. It was like this very, very huge weight has been lifted off my shoulder," she told NBC6 after Fort Lauderdale city commissioners unanimously Tuesday in favor of the settlement. "I can finally say, 'This is done. I got justice.'"

Ratlieff suffered a broken eye socket, nerve damage, and had a 20-stitch gash on her forehead that left a scar.

"Physically, there’s a part of me that will never be the same," she said.

She lost some of her vision permanently and was left with mental scars.

"The emotional baggage is hard," Ratlieff said.

Commissioners voted unanimously on a $1,975,000 settlement with Ratlieff after she filed a civil lawsuit against the city in 2022.

Ratlieff’s attorney called the decision a "win-win."

The detective who fired the shot was cleared of all wrongdoing in 2021.

The next year, Ratlieff filed the civil lawsuit against the city and several other officers who were there.

In September, a judge ruled that the officers had qualified immunity and would not be held liable but that the city could be.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told reporters he was sorry Ratlieff was hurt, and that the city is ready to move forward.

"We know it was painful. We’re very sorry about that," he said. "We’re just happy to be able to resolve the matter tonight and put it behind us."

Trantalis said he was surprised Ratlieff decided to sue.

"We were very surprised that we were even sued from the beginning, especially since in conversations that I personally had with Ms. Ratlieff, she said I’m not here to sue the city or do damage. I just want to see changes take place in the police department," he said.

Ratlieff responded to the mayor, saying she does want reform, but his comments were disheartening.