Dec. 29 (UPI) — A former Minneapolis police officer will face assault charges in an incident stemming from the 2020 unrest over the police murder of George Floyd.
The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday former Minneapolis police officer Justin Stetson, 34, will face assault charges in the arrest of Jaleel Stallings, who suffered facial bone fractures in the incident as he lay on the ground after surrendering to police.
According to authorities, police did not announce their presence before firing non-lethal rounds on Stallings and other men who had gathered in Minneapolis in May 2020 during a time of mass protest over the police killing of Floyd. Authorities say Stallings was unaware the shots came from police and returned fire with three shots. No one was hit.
According to the complaint, authorities say Stetson repeatedly struck Stallings for nearly 30 seconds after he had surrendered and was on the ground. The attack fractured Stallings left orbital wall — the facial bone that surrounds and protects the eye.
The complaint states another officer, a sergeant, held Stallings’ hands behind his back as Stetson struck Stallings with his fists. According to the complaint, the sergeant then told Stetson, “That’s it, stop!”
Stallings was charged with attempted murder, but a jury acquitted him of those charges in 2021, agreeing with Stallings’ contention that he acted in self-defense.
The city of Minneapolis paid $1.5M to Stallings in May to settle a federal lawsuit alleging a violation of his constitutional rights.
