$1.5 Million Paid by Minneapolis to Man Beaten by Police Officers

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Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - A St. Paul man who was beaten by Minneapolis police officers and charged with attempted murder for a shooting that occurred while Minneapolis was being rocked by rioting the day after George Floyd's death has accepted an offer by the City of Minneapolis and the officers involved to settle his civil lawsuit for $1.5 million.

Jaleel Stallings filed a federal lawsuit against Minneapolis and the police officers after he was acquitted of all of the criminal charges in the case. He argued he was acting in self-defense when he fired several shots in the direction of police officers after they approached him in a parking lot in an unmarked van and began firing rubber bullets without ever announcing they were police. Stallings indicated one of the non-lethal rounds struck him in the chest and he initially thought he had been hit by a real bullet.

Hennepin County Sheriff's Office booking photo

Stallings testified that he immediately dropped his gun and laid down on the pavement when he realized he was dealing with police officers. According to court records, video recordings of the incident show Stallings was motionless with his hands on the pavement when two officers kicked and punched him in the head, back, and chest before handcuffing him.

A federal court filing documenting Stallings' acceptance of the $1.5 million settlement states that it cannot "be construed as an admission that the Defendants or their agents and employees are liable in this action." It goes on to say the City of Minneapolis and others named in the lawsuit "expressly deny the validity of (Stallings) claims and expressly deny any liability." In addition to the payment to Stallings, Minneapolis also agreed to pay for his legal expenses and other costs associated with the lawsuit.

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Timeline: George Floyd's Death, Protests, Riots, Arrests, and Chauvin Trial

It was late afternoon on Memorial Day, 2020 and many Minnesotans had observed the normally active weekend hunkered down because of the growing pandemic.

George Floyd drove to a grocery store in Minneapolis and bought some cigarettes. He was accused by employees of making the purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill and police were called. Floyd was still there in his vehicle when two officers arrived. About 10 minutes later, Chauvin and another officer showed up and the situation began to escalate. Chauvin began kneeling on Floyd's neck as he was facedown on the street. Despite repeated pleas from Floyd and a growing crowd of bystanders to remove his knee, Chauvin continued as if frozen in position with no facial expression.

After more than 8 minutes, Chauvin finally stood up and Floyd had become unresponsive. An ambulance was called and a short while later, it was reported Floyd was dead.

A video of the incident slowly spread on social media around the state, the country and the world. Viewers literally watched a man slowly die, repeating "I can't breathe."

The now historic response began the following day.

Source: $1.5 Million Paid by Minneapolis to Man Beaten by Police Officers

Filed Under: George Floyd

Categories: Local News, State News