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A federal lawsuit has been filed against the city over Pittsburgh police allegedly using excessive force and injuring three people who were peacefully protesting the killing of George Floyd. The injuries were suffered in Downtown on May 30, 2020.

Watch the report in the video player above.

The plaintiffs are Alex Horell, Gordon Brown and Hatem Hassan, who say through their attorney that they suffered severe and permanent injuries.

"Alex Horell had his eye shot out by a projectile. Mr. Hassan had his right hand shattered through his hand and required orthopedic surgery and probably will need a follow-up surgery as well. Mr. Brown had a projectile through the center of his lip and nose, splitting his lip in half and leaving permanent scarring and shattering two of his front teeth," their attorney, Fred Rabner, told Pittsburgh's Action News 4.

The lawsuit alleges Pittsburgh police didn't adequately prepare for crowd control or protests, that police "indiscriminately fired propulsions at targeted individuals in the crowd, used chemical gas, and failed to provide medical attention to the many who were injured by their 'crowd control tactics.'"

The suit targets the city, former Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich, soon-to-retire police Chief Scott Schubert, and a half-dozen Pittsburgh police.

"It's not just about money damages. It's about change. (With) the city, my clients, we want to go hand in hand. We want to get in a room. We want to resolve the case. Obviously, we had money damages that they're seeking for their injuries, of course. But we could make a difference here," Rabner said. "This administration is new. They should get in front of this issue and be a beacon for the entire country. here we have an opportunity."

The city told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that it cannot comment on pending active litigation.

Rabner said, "We don't want our city of Pittsburgh police officers out during peaceful protests creating a Beirut-like situation, hurling smoke in the air, flash bombs, shooting rubber bullets and bean bag bullets."

He also said, "If we are forced to go litigate this, it's not going to be good for the city. It's going to expose all of this once again, rip off that band-aid."

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