MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Attorney General's Office announced former Minneapolis police officer Justin Stetson will face assault charges for his alleged use of force against Jaleel Stallings in the 2020 unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says his office charged Stetson, 34, with one count of third-degree assault. The felony offense carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted.
According to the criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Hennepin County, Stetson is accused of repeatedly striking and kicking Stallings, causing a facial fracture.
The attorney's office alleges Stallings was "lying prone on the ground, posed no imminent threat, and did not resist Stetson’s use of force," and further, that Stetson's use of force was "unreasonable, excessive, and contrary to generally accepted police practice.”
Court documents say Stetson encountered Stallings just before 11 p.m. on May 30, 2020, near 15th Avenue South and Lake Street. The complaint says officers were patrolling the area in an unmarked van with two marked squad cars following in an effort to enforce the governor's imposed curfew.
Several other people dispersed when they saw police, according to court records, but Stallings stepped out from behind a pickup truck and walked toward them.
Charging documents go on to allege Stallings then crouched by the driver's side door as if he was picking something up and officers became concerned something may be thrown at them. That's when they began firing non-lethal rounds at Stallings, who was reportedly hit in the chest, prompting him to pull a registered weapon that he was permitted to carry and return fire.
In the time following the alleged shooting, Stallings insisted he discarded the weapon immediately when he found out those in the van were police.
Stallings was subsequently charged with attempted murder, but a jury acquitted him of those charges in July 2021, agreeing that Stallings "acted in self-defense."
In one clip from an officer's body-worn camera footage released in the months following the encounter, the officer can be heard saying, "Tonight it was just nice to hear, 'We're gonna find some more people instead of chasing people around. You guys are out hunting people now, it's just a nice change of tempo … (expletive) these people."
In surveillance footage reviewed by KARE 11 at the time it was released, Stallings can be seen falling to the pavement, dropping his firearm and lying facedown immediately after he realizes the men in the van are police officers. One officer can be seen running at Stallings, kicking him in the head and cursing at him.
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota (CAIR-MN) and a leading voice for police accountability in this case, said he welcomes the attorney general's decision to charge Stetson.
"The third-degree charge here is appropriate. Obviously, we could charge more," Hussein said. "But it also shows that we do need independent prosecution when police officers are involved."
Minneapolis Police declined to comment on the charges, but confirmed that Stetson has not been employed by the department since August.
An attorney for Stallings declined comment as well, saying that they need time to review the charge against Stetson.
On Thursday, the Police Officers Federation of Minnesota issued a statement in response to Stetson's charges, saying in part:
"The Police Officers Federation of Minnesota is disappointed to learn that the Attorney General’s office charged one of our former members with assault. ...It is easy to look at this incident and judge it in hindsight and draw conclusions."
In October of 2021, Stallings filed a lawsuit against the officers involved in the incident. In May 2022, Stallings settled with the city and was awarded $1.5 million plus legal fees.
Following news of the settlement, Stallings told KARE 11:
“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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