The St. Paul City Council was recently expected to approve a $30,000 settlement involving a 26-year-old who sued the city and two officers who supposedly used unnecessary force while arresting him for an alleged probation violation.
In looking at what happened, the 26-year-old St. Paul resident filed the lawsuit after he claims he was physically assaulted by two officers. The lawsuit stems back to April 2011 when the man claims the two police officers came to his home to execute an arrest warrant.
According to the police brutality lawsuit, when the 26-year-old asked if he could grab his shoes, he was waived on by one of the officers to grab them. However, when he bent down to grab the shoes, he claims the same officer who approvingly waved, grabbed his wrists and repeatedly punched him in the face.
The lawsuit also claims the other officer on the scene stunned him on the back using a Taser.
During the arrest, the lawsuit claims the St. Paul man’s vision was coming in and out of focus. An exam later found he had two bone fractures in his face.
After the arrest, the St. Paul man was charged with obstructing the legal process. However, this charge was later acquitted by a jury.
The lawsuit against the city and the two officers was filed in October 2012. At the time, the 26-year-old claimed to still suffer from migraines, double vision and anxiety.
In looking at this St. Paul case, it is important to remember that all suspects have rights and that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
Source: Star Tribune, “St. Paul police to settle unnecessary-force suit,” Feb. 11, 2013
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