MINNEAPOLIS (AP), A man was acquitted after he fired at Minneapolis police officers during the chaos that followed George Floyd's death.
Jaleel STALLINGS argued self-defense in his July trial. He testified that he shot at the unmarked white van, after being struck in the chest by what turned out be a nonlethal rubber gun fired by police.
Eric Rice, Stallings' attorney, stated that he believed he was being attacked and had been shot by civilians. According to court documents, Stallings fired three shots at the van after he was hit. He then ran for cover. When he realized that he had shot at police, he surrendered. He was not hit by any officers.
Minnesota Reformer, an online digital news site, published a report on Stallings' acquittal. It also examined the case more deeply. The Reformer published body-cam footage from his arrest, which shows Minneapolis SWAT officers beating and kicking Stallings while he lies on the ground.
After his arrest, a booking photo of Stallings shows visible facial injuries. Rice stated that Stallings had testified that he suffered from bruising, eye socket fractures, and cuts. According to court documents, he had also suffered from labored breathing following the arrest. Rice stated that this was likely due to the impact on his chest by the rubber bullet.
Rice stated that he is unaware of any ongoing investigation or discipline of officers. However, he requested the information if it was available and believed it should be disclosed as part trial discovery.
Minneapolis police spokesperson John Elder refused to answer questions about whether the officers were being investigated by the department or disciplined for using force.
Stallings now seeks permission from the courts to release body-camera footage that was made public during his trial. This is despite a prior order that restricted the dissemination of videos. The hearing is scheduled for late this month.
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Stallings' May 30, 2020 arrest was the talk of the town during unrest in Minneapolis that included the burning of a station police station in the days following Floyds death. Two counts of attempted second-degree murder, multiple charges of assault, and other charges were filed against him. The Minnesota Freedom Fund, an organization that is local, paid $75,000 to help him be released on bail.
According to court documents, Stallings immediately placed his gun on the ground when he realized that he had fired at officers. He then laid face down with his hands on ground, according to the case. Judge William Koch stated that Stallings was still for 20 seconds, and did not pose any obvious threat to Officer Justin Stetson or Sgt. Andrew Bittell approached him. According to the order, Stetson started punching Stallings in his neck and head, and Bittell began to kneel and punch him in the stomach, chest, and back.
Judge Bittell and Stetson were found to have violated Stallings Fourth Amendment rights during their arrest, and that their actions were unreasonably unreasonable.
Sergeant Bittell and Officer Stetson allowed anger and/or fear overtake them and beat Mr. Stallings nearly 30 seconds before trying to place him in handcuffs. Koch wrote. Their testimony is not supported by the video evidence. Instead, he surrendered and stopped resisting arrest.
Just months before Minneapolis voters are asked to vote on a ballot question, which would remove the police department and create a new Department of Public Safety with a comprehensive public health approach, the new attention is paid to the case.
