Jaleel Stallings sues 19 Minneapolis officers over May 2020 arrest
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Jaleel Stallings has filed a lawsuit against 19 Minneapolis police officers regarding his arrest in May of 2020, arguing they used excessive force and filed false reports when they arrested him during the unrest following George Floyd’s murder.
Stallings was acquitted earlier this year of charges that he shot towards police officers during the 2020 unrest. Stallings claimed he acted in self-defense, returning fire after police in an unmarked van fired what turned out to be less-lethal ammunition at him and before he realized the people shooting at him were police officers. The interaction was captured on police body camera video.
The lawsuit says upon realizing the occupants in the unmarked squad car were police officers, Stallings dropped his weapon and surrendered. "Despite his surrender, officers beat him for approximately 30 seconds. Nearby officers watched and did nothing to stop the beating," the lawsuit says.
Jaleel Stallings said he didn't realize the people shooting at him were police officers until after he fired three shots. (Supplied)
Body camera video released following Stallings acquittal shows officers striking Stallings as he lay on the ground after firing the shots, yelling at him to "put his hands behind his back" as Stallings says that "he's trying." Eventually one of the officers says "stop it" and the commotion ends.
When officers roll Stallings over, he appears to be dazed and bleeding from his nose.
Bodycam video shows altercation involving Jaleel Stallings and Minneapolis police
A jury acquitted Jaleel Stallings for firing at Minneapolis police after he claimed self-defense in the case, saying he didn't realize the people firing what turned out to be less-lethal munitions at him were actually police officers.
Thursday’s court filing says Stallings is suing because the officers violated his First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights during the arrest as well as his Equal Protection Clause right, claiming Stallings was a "Black man who was improperly targeted and attacked to due to officers’ racial bias."
Nineteen officers are listed as defendants in the lawsuit, although only fourteen are named. One of the defendants is former police union president Bob Kroll. The lawsuit says Kroll had "discussions and influence" with the City of Minneapolis regarding the Minneapolis Police Department’s "tactics and operations during the George Floyd protests."
The City of Minneapolis is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.