MINNEAPOLIS — The city of Minneapolis will pay Jaleel Kevin Stallings $1.5 million plus legal fees to settle a lawsuit alleging he was beaten by Minneapolis police officers during a night of unrest following the murder of George Floyd.
KARE 11's Lauren Leamanczyk obtained documents confirming the settlement Tuesday morning. The agreement offers to pay the $1.5 million, stating that acceptance of the offer "will be full satisfaction of all federal and state law claims or rights that Plaintiff may have to damages, or any other form of relief, and extinguish any claim or claims by Plaintiff against Defendants and their agents and employees."
The language in the documents says expressly that the settlement is not an admission of liability from the officers or the city, and that the defendants deny the validity of Stallings' claims.
"The City Attorney’s Office, after consultation with the City Council, served on the Plaintiff in this case a Federal Rule 68 Offer of Judgment in the amount of $1.5 million," reads a statement from Deputy Minneapolis City Attorney Erik Nilsson. "The plaintiff accepted this judgment. The City hopes that an early resolution to this matter will allow all of the parties to move forward."
Stallings filed the lawsuit in October of 2021, accusing a group of officers (up to 20 both named and unnamed) of wrongly targeting him in a parking lot off Lake Street the night of May 30, 2020.
Court documents claimed non-lethal rubber rounds were fired at Stallings from an unmarked van carrying police officers. One of the shots reportedly hit Stallings in the chest, causing him to pull a registered weapon that he was permitted to carry and return fire.
Stallings insisted he discarded the weapon immediately when he found out those in the van were police, and said despite the fact he surrendered he was brutally beaten for approximately 30 seconds. The lawsuit claimed other officers watched the beating and did nothing to intervene.
A jury acquitted Stallings in the summer of 2021 on charges of attempted murder filed against him in the incident.
KARE 11's Leamanczyk spoke with Stallings Tuesday following news of the settlement. Despite agreeing to it, Stallings insists he is far from satisfied.
“I’m still left with a feeling of disappointment because the civil case wasn’t necessarily about a check as much as it was about having accountability and justice, and I don’t feel like I received that at all,” Stallings explained. "I am extremely happy that I’m alive today and recognize that I’m blessed in that. But for me all those negative emotions have turned into motivation and drive to help change the culture of policing."
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