Minnesota Police Shootings, Police Misconduct, and Police Brutality

POLICE BRUTALITY AND EXCESSIVE FORCE

Madia Law Represents Victims of Police Shootings, Police Brutality, and Excessive Force in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

When police officers abuse their authority and hurt someone by shooting them, beating them, wrongfully using a taser, or macing them, they need to be held accountable. No matter how difficult the job, no person has the right to use excessive force on someone else. Our free society depends on courageous people stepping up to protect their rights when they have been violated.

If you were wrongfully arrested, or beaten, or tased, or maced, you should know that you are protected by federal law and the U.S. Constitution. The Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, which includes excessive force. A federal law called 42 U.S.C. 1983 prohibits the violation of constitutional rights by people acting under color of law, such as police officers.

 

Police Shooting Lawyers Represent Victims of Wrongful Shootings by Police Officers that Result in Injury or Wrongful Death.

If you or a loved one have been shot by a police officer and are looking for answers, first of all, let me tell you that we’re sorry for what happened and sorry for your loss.  We can’t imagine the pain and grief that you’re dealing with right now, and I know that nothing I say will make it better.

Second, you need to seek legal representation.  Police officers may only open fire on civilians in very limited circumstances: to protect themselves or others from grave bodily harm or death.  Too often these days, police officers (including officers in Minneapolis and St. Paul) shoot civilians without such justification. Yes, police officers have a difficult job and we respect them for doing it.  But that cannot be the reason to justify shooting people who do not present a threat.

It’s not enough that a suspect is escaping or fleeing – that is not legal justification for an officer to shoot.  Instead, courts look to several factors to determine if officer shootings are objectively reasonable.

First, what was the severity of the alleged crime of the suspect?  Of course, more serious crimes like murder will give an officer more leeway than nonviolent misdemeanors like petty theft, jaywalking, or disorderly conduct.

Second, did the suspect pose an immediate threat to the officers or others?  For this factor, it will be relevant whether a civilian had a weapon, such as a gun or knife, and if he pointed it at officers or shot at officers.  If a civilian was trying to kill an officer, of course the shooting will likely be ruled as objectively reasonable based on the threat level.  On the other hand, if a civilian did not have a weapon or was complying with officer commands to put down a weapon, and officers shot him nonetheless, the shooting will more likely be found to be objectively unreasonable.

Finally, was the suspect actively resisting arrest?  Again, compliance with officer commands is key for this factor.  If a civilian was complying with commands, then an officer will have a hard time explaining why using lethal force was necessary and reasonable.

If you or a loved one have been shot by a Minneapolis police officer or St. Paul police officer, please contact us, Minnesota police shooting lawyers, immediately for a free consultation.

 

Police Brutality Lawyers Represent Minneapolis and St. Paul Residents in Cases of Wrongful Arrest, Tasings, Beatings, and Macings.

The same factors apply to excessive force cases by officers.  Unfortunately, too often officers use way more force than is necessary to do their job.  Sometimes, they even use excessive force on innocent bystanders who have done nothing wrong.

If you’ve been maced or tased or beaten or wrongfully arrested by a Minneapolis or St. Paul police officer, call us today for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions for Minneapolis Police Shooting, Police Misconduct, and Civil Rights Lawyers

1. What is the statute of limitations to bring a claim for violation of my constitutional rights?  It varies by claim, but generally it’s 6 years in Minnesota.
2. What should I do if I’ve been the victim of police brutality? Document everything.  Write down exactly what happened after it happens, when it’s fresh in your mind.  Get the police report – you can get that easily by just going to the police department and asking for it.  If you had any medical treatment as a result of injuries suffered because of police misconduct, make sure to get the hospital records, too.  Have a friend take photographs of any injuries that you suffered.  To the extent that you can, write down a list of witnesses who saw what happened, along with their contact information.  We’ll use that to get a hold of them quickly and get statements. Also, immediately contact the police department (in writing or email) and tell them that you believe you were the victim of police brutality and that you’d like them to preserve any video that exists of the incident.  This puts them on notice to preserve the evidence, and if they delete it, you can get an adverse inference instruction to the jury that the officers destroyed evidence that was likely favorable to you.
3. Who can bring a lawsuit for my loved one, if he was shot and killed by police officers?  A trustee for your loved one’s “next of kin” can bring the suit.  The trustee can be anyone, but is usually his spouse (if he was married), his kids, his parents, or even his siblings.  There is a statutory process to have the next of kin appointed as Trustee. The Trustee then brings the lawsuit on behalf of the deceased’s next of kin.  If and when there is a settlement or jury verdict, the Trustee proposes a distribution of the funds amongst the next of kin, but the Court makes the final determination as to how much each family member gets.

Madia Law Gets Results in Police Brutality and Police Shooting Cases.

Police Shooting results in $1.5 million settlement. 

Mark Henderson was a hostage held at gunpoint in a room at the Woodbury Red Roof Inn on August 30, 2012.  He fled the room and approached Woodbury police officers with his hands raised.  He complied with their commands to get on the ground.  As he lay unarmed in a prone position approximately 10-12 feet in front of them, the officers shouted conflicting and contradictory commands that even they couldn’t hear or understand.  Within seconds, they opened fire and killed him.

Henderson’s family brought a lawsuit against the officers and Woodbury in August 2015.  The officers argued that the doctrine of qualified immunity protected their actions.  The doctrine of qualified immunity basically says that, in order to be liable for their actions, officers need to knowingly violate an established constitutional right – negligence is not enough.  They argued that Henderson didn’t comply with their command to show his hands, and while on the ground, he made a “blading” movement toward them that justified his shooting.

In November 2016, Woodbury brought a motion for summary judgment, asking the district court to dismiss the Henderson family’s case because the officers were protected by qualified immunity.  In February 2017, the district court granted Woodbury’s motion and dismissed the case.

We thought the district court erred by not considering crucial evidence, including the officers’ statements from the night of the shooting, where at least one officer admitted that Henderson complied with all officer commands.  So we appealed the case to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In November 2018, the Eighth Circuit reversed the district court’s opinion and held that the case should go to a jury trial.  The Eighth Circuit held that the district court erred by failing to consider the officers’ statements from the night of the shooting, and that a jury could rely on those statements to conclude that Mark complied with officer commands, but was shot and killed anyway.

In April 2019, just weeks before trial, Woodbury settled with Henderson’s family for almost $1.5 million – the full amount of insurance policy limits.

We were honored to represent the Henderson family.

 

St. Paul police officer tasing results in $35,000 jury verdict. 

Deshun is an African American male who was barbequing in his front yard with his family on a sunny Sunday afternoon in summer 2010. He was playing Isley Brothers music from his car stereo and police officers arrived in a squad car because of the noise. Jason quickly turned the music off and apologized to the officers. He provided his identification and told them that the house and car belonged to him. While speaking to the officers, Deshun noticed that his meat was burning on the grill. He told the officers, “Excuse me officers, my meat is burning,” and walked over to his grill to flip the meat.

One of the officers then yelled, “Where the [expletive] do you think you’re going? I’m not through with you yet.” Deshun responded that he was just checking his meat. The officers then assaulted Deshun – they shoved him against his front fence and sprayed mace in his face. Next, the officers deployed their taser on Deshun, sending him face first into the ground, writhing in pain. The officers arrested Deshun, and slammed their squad car door on his legs several times for good measure. All of this occurred in front of Deshun’s father, mother, and girlfriend, who screamed for mercy. They charged Deshun with disorderly conduct and obstruction of legal process.

A jury acquitted Deshun of all charges. He then found the courage to hold the officers to account for their behavior. Madia Law represented Deshun through two years of litigation and won a jury trial in federal court, where the jury awarded Deshun $35,000 in punitive damages from the officers.

 

Minneapolis police beating results in $70,000 settlement.

Ernest was a black, 16-year-old boy who stood 5′ 9″ and weighed 131 pounds. One summer evening, he was walking home with a friend when Minneapolis police officers drove by and shined a spotlight on the boys. The boys, under the mistaken impression that they were out past curfew, immediately began walking faster in order to get home and avoid getting in any trouble.

The police officers then began to box the kids in. Uncertain of what to do, and not wanting to get in trouble for violating curfew, the boys saw an open garage door and entered the garage to hide. Two police officers then followed the boys into the garage. The officers entered the garage and shined his flashlight on the boys, who were crouched on the ground. One officer then kicked Ernest in the head with his boot, causing severe trauma. The other officer said, “Good kick, Rookie!”

Madia Law sued the police officers on Ernest’s behalf. The case quickly settled for payment of $70,000.

 

You May Be Entitled to Damages for Pain and Suffering, Emotional Distress, and Attorney Fees

If you have been the victim of police brutality, you may be entitled to damages, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, punitive damages, and your attorney fees and costs.

If your family member has been shot and killed by an officer, you may bring suit as his next of kin.  You may seek damages for the lost wages he would have earned in his life, the loss of his enjoyment of his life, and the loss of companionship and friendship that you and others (like his kids, spouse, parents, and siblings) have suffered as a result of the officer’s actions.

 

Contact Our Minneapolis and St. Paul Excessive Force, Police Shooting, and Police Brutality Lawyers Today.

You must act quickly when it comes to filing a claim for police misconduct. If you wait, strict statutes of limitation will bar you from filing your claim. Call Madia Law today to discuss your case. All consultations are free.