MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis police officer admitted in court Wednesday that he "crossed the line, went too far" while pleading guilty to an assault on a man laying prone on the ground with his hands over his head.
Justin Stetson pleaded guilty to both felony third-degree assault and gross misdemeanor misconduct of a public official in connection with the beating of Jaleel Stallings on May 30, 2020. While he will likely serve no prison time as part of a plea agreement, the Minnesota Attorney General's Office calls the admission of guilty historic.
“Justin Stetson’s admission of guilt to the facts of a felony and a gross misdemeanor in the assault of Jaleel Stallings is historic. Rarely if ever do police officers plead guilty to using excessive force in the line of duty — and today, Stetson has admitted he did so under color of his official authority, in violation of the law," said Attorney General Keith Ellison in a released statement. "By entering these guilty pleas, Stetson can never serve as a law-enforcement officer in Minnesota again."
Among the terms of his plea agreement:
- Stetson agrees to never seek employment as a law-enforcement agent.
- He will submit a written apology to Mr. Stallings, which shall include an acknowledgment of his participation in a harmful institutional culture of policing within the Minneapolis Police Department.
- Stetson must remain law-abiding on supervised probation for two years or face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison.
- He will complete 30-90 days of sentence to service and/or community service.
In Stetson's apology letter, he wrote:
"I apologize to you and accept responsibility for my conduct. I understand mine are serious crimes. The one hurt you; the other, the people of Minnesota. I regret my actions. I understand the harm it caused. I acknowledge that no one has the right to inexcusably harm another person. Not me. Not any police officer. Not ever.
"Please accept this letter of apology, although I certainly can understand if you reject anything at all from me. I'm truly sorry for my improper behavior which caused you tremendous physical and emotional pain. What you experienced because of my misconduct is not acceptable. I also now realize that the emotional fallout you suffer has been unspeakable. For all the pain that you and your family have had to deal with because of my lack of control and poor judgment, I again apologize to you. The humiliation that you must have felt during that time must have been unbearable. Not only did I cause you physical injury but know that the emotional scars of the brutality are equally as painful and can last forever.
"I hold myself 100% accountable. My actions were the wrong choice that night when I broke my oath of office, and the public's trust. I created your problem which I know reflects deeper, historical and institutional problem with the Minneapolis police and how some officers have responded poorly to the urban communities. Through my counseling, I have realized there is a lack of trust in police especially on the part of nonwhites, and that this lack of trust is foundationally related to interactions that individuals, like yourself, have had with particular officers, like myself. The violence I visited upon you that night has been felt by all our citizens.
"I acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that MPD has played in society's historical mistreatment of the disadvantaged communities and against those engaged in peaceful civil protests. Individual actions — mine — do have a strong and indelible impact on the relationship between authorities and the people.
"I was responsible for an unfair and violent assault upon you. Just writing this makes me sick inside. I have never thought that I would be capable of such actions and I can't begin to express how sorry I am that I hurt you."
The state recommended those terms to the court, noting that with a first-time offender with a presumed criminal history score of zero (like Stetson), Minnesota sentencing guidelines recommend a stayed sentence and probation. The former officer will be officially sentenced for his crimes on Aug. 9.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also released a statement about Stetson's plea deal Wednesday, saying:
"Justin Stetson’s admission of guilt to the facts of a felony and a gross misdemeanor in the assault of Jaleel Stallings is historic. Rarely if ever do police officers plead guilty to using excessive force in the line of duty — and today, Stetson has admitted he did so under color of his official authority, in violation of the law. By entering these guilty pleas, Stetson can never serve as a law-enforcement officer in Minnesota again.
“My thoughts today are with Mr. Stallings, who has endured with courage and dignity an assault and other injustices that never should have happened to him or anyone. The Attorney General’s Office cannot by itself right all the wrongs Mr. Stallings has endured. We cannot undo the unjust trial he endured, and we cannot undo the unjust days he spent in jail. Nevertheless, I hope Stetson’s admission of the facts related to the assault, his apology and acknowledgment he was part of a harmful culture of policing in the Minneapolis Police Department, and his inability ever to wear a badge again serves as some measure of accountability to Mr. Stallings and to the community.
“With this plea, Minnesota has shown once again that law-enforcement personnel will be held accountable for their oath to uphold the law. Accountability is not justice, but it is an important step on the path to justice.”
Stetson was among a group of MPD officers patrolling Lake Street that evening in an unmarked white van amid days of unrest following George Floyd’s murder.
Prosecutors allege the officers fired rubber bullets that struck a number of people including Stallings, who served in the military and is licensed to carry a firearm. Stallings believed he’d been hit with a real bullet and returned fire. The incident was caught on tape.
“At the time, I fired," Stallings said. "I had no knowledge whatsoever that they were police officers.”
When he realized they were officers, Stallings can be seen dropping his weapon, lying face-first on the pavement and putting his hands over his head. Surveillance video shows Stetson approach and kick Stallings in the head. Court documents say the victim was kicked multiple times, had his face slammed on the ground and punched or kneed nearly a dozen times.
Stallings suffered facial fractures in the beating but was himself charged with attempted murder for shooting at the officers. He faced years in prison but was found not guilty, with jurors deciding he acted in self-defense.
While Stalllings reached a $1.5 million settlement with the city of Minneapolis, he is not happy with the deal offered to Stetson.
"I think what bothers me most is the lack of accountability,” Stallings said in an interview with KARE 11. “At this point, as the innocent party, I will have served more jail time as a direct result of this than any of the officers involved.”
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