Man sues police after being tasered
by Dallas Johnson
A Minneapolis man filed a civil lawsuit Friday against the Minneapolis Police Department for an incident in which the man said he was tasered by an officer after he had surrendered, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
Rolando Demetrio Ruiz, 18, filed the lawsuit Friday, naming the city, Police Chief Tim Dolan, officer Todd Lappegaard and others. Albert Goins, Ruiz's lawyer, released video of the incident.
The video shows Ruiz standing with his hands on the hood of the police car when Lappegaard uses a taser on the back of his neck, according to City Pages.
The lawsuit is seeking damages between $75,000 and $400,000. The lawsuit is claiming civil rights violatioins, which means that it could exceed $400,000.
Dolan has asked the FBI and the city attorney's office to review the claim. The video is "very disturbing," Dolan said.
"Minneapolis police training and policies related to use of force and Tasers are based upon national best practices and standards," Dolan said in a statement Tuesday. "We take any violations of those policies very seriously."
Along with civil rights violations, the lawsuit is citing nine other incidents. A 2002 incident involving Lappegaard was cited, in which an SUV driven by a woman who was running from police was hit by Lappegaard's police car. The SUV ran off the road and killed a man jogging.
The lawsuit said that the city should have known that Lappegaard was a danger to Minneapolis citizens.
Ruiz pleaded guilty Thursday to a gross misdemeaner for throwing a brick at a Minneapolis police car. He was sentenced to 62 days in jail, which he has served, two years probation and a $50 fine.
Lappegaard has been assigned to office duty pending the investigation.
by Dallas Johnson
A Minneapolis man filed a civil lawsuit Friday against the Minneapolis Police Department for an incident in which the man said he was tasered by an officer after he had surrendered, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
Rolando Demetrio Ruiz, 18, filed the lawsuit Friday, naming the city, Police Chief Tim Dolan, officer Todd Lappegaard and others. Albert Goins, Ruiz's lawyer, released video of the incident.
The video shows Ruiz standing with his hands on the hood of the police car when Lappegaard uses a taser on the back of his neck, according to City Pages.
The lawsuit is seeking damages between $75,000 and $400,000. The lawsuit is claiming civil rights violatioins, which means that it could exceed $400,000.
Dolan has asked the FBI and the city attorney's office to review the claim. The video is "very disturbing," Dolan said.
"Minneapolis police training and policies related to use of force and Tasers are based upon national best practices and standards," Dolan said in a statement Tuesday. "We take any violations of those policies very seriously."
Along with civil rights violations, the lawsuit is citing nine other incidents. A 2002 incident involving Lappegaard was cited, in which an SUV driven by a woman who was running from police was hit by Lappegaard's police car. The SUV ran off the road and killed a man jogging.
The lawsuit said that the city should have known that Lappegaard was a danger to Minneapolis citizens.
Ruiz pleaded guilty Thursday to a gross misdemeaner for throwing a brick at a Minneapolis police car. He was sentenced to 62 days in jail, which he has served, two years probation and a $50 fine.
Lappegaard has been assigned to office duty pending the investigation.
