Mpls. taser suit headed to federal court (Star Tribune)

Mpls. taser suit headed to federal court:

A civil lawsuit over a Minneapolis police officer's use of a Taser on an 18-year-old is headed to federal court... Rolando Demetrio Ruiz sued last month in Hennepin County District Court over an April incident outside the 2nd Precinct headquarters in northeast Minneapolis. Albert Goins, a lawyer for Ruiz, has released video footage of the incident and has said Lappegaard was the officer who held a Taser to the back of Ruiz's neck for at least 15 seconds after the teen surrendered...

MPD Officer to Contest Alleged Brutality Suspension (KSTP)

MPD Officer to Contest Alleged Brutality Suspension:

A Minneapolis police officer plans to contest her unpaid suspension, which was handed down by the chief in connection with a case of alleged police brutality. Sherry Appledorn, a 16-year department veteran, was caught on a parking garage surveillance tape repeatedly kicking a man suspected of breaking into cars...

Man tasered by Minneapolis police sues (Star Tribune)

Man tasered by Minneapolis police sues:

The 18-year-old man who said a Minneapolis police officer used a Taser on him after his surrender filed a civil lawsuit Friday. The suit by Rolando Demetrio Ruiz, filed in Hennepin County District Court, names the city, Police Chief Tim Dolan, officer Todd Lappegaard and unknown officers. Ruiz's lawyer Albert Goins has released video footage of the April 30 incident and has said Lappegaard was the officer who held a Taser to the back of Ruiz's neck for at least 15 seconds...

Defendant alleging Taser violation pleads guilty (Star Tribune)

Defendant alleging Taser violation pleads guilty:

An 18-year-old man in a video that appears to show Minneapolis police using a Taser against him pleaded guilty Thursday to a gross misdemeanor for the incident that resulted in his arrest. Rolando Ruiz was charged with a felony count of first-degree damage to property in the April 30 incident outside the Second Precinct headquarters, on 19th Avenue NE. near Central Avenue. He pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor and was sentenced by Hennepin County Judge Robert Blaeser to 62 days -- which he already has served. He also was placed on two years probation and fined $50... In a video released this week by a lawyer for Ruiz, an officer appears to hold the Taser to the back of Ruiz's neck for 15 seconds. Chief Tim Dolan called the video "very disturbing" and has asked the FBI to review it. Ruiz claims he had surrendered before the officer used the Taser. In the video, his hands are on the hood of a car as an officer approaches him from behind. Ruiz screams and quickly falls out of the camera's view...

MPD chief asks for FBI review of Taser incident. (City Pages)

MPD chief asks for FBI review of Taser incident:

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan released a statement Tuesday after a Minneapolis man field a lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis for civil rights violations when an officer used a Taser on him during an arrest. The video of the incident shows the suspect, Rolando Demetrio Ruiz, standing calmly with his hands on the police car hood when the officer uses a Taser on his neck. Dolan said he is asking the FBI and the city attorney to review the claim, calling the video "very disturbing." The city attorney could consider criminal charges against the officer...

Mpls. police ask FBI to review taser use (Star Tribune)

Mpls. police ask FBI to review taser use:

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan is asking the FBI and the city attorney to review an 18-year-old man's claim that an officer used a Taser on him after he had surrendered. In a statement Tuesday, Dolan called the video, in which an officer appears to hold the Taser to the back of the man's neck for 15 seconds, "very disturbing." The FBI review will look at possible civil rights violations, while the city attorney will weigh possible criminal charges, he added...

FBI To Review Video Of Cop Using Taser On Man (WCCO)

FBI To Review Video Of Cop Using Taser On Man:

The FBI will be reviewing dash cam video of a Minneapolis police officer using a Taser on a man as a possible civil rights violation, according to a statement released by the Minneapolis police chief Tuesday evening. Chief Tim Dolan said the Minneapolis City Attorney will also review the case for possible criminal charges against the officer. On April 30, 2009, Rolando Ruiz was arrested near the Minneapolis 2nd Precinct near Central Avenue." ... (The officer) takes that Taser and puts it to the back of his neck and shocks him until he's incapacitated, on the ground, slumped before the squad car," said Albert Goins Sr., an attorney. Goins said the officers meant to hurt Ruiz. "It's clear that the only purpose for that officer's conduct was to inflict pain and inflict agony on Mr. Ruiz," said Goins.

The police officer who tasered Ruiz is Todd Lappegaard. Lappegaard was involved and reprimanded once before for using deadly force. Back in March 2002, Lappegaard was involved in a deadly chase. The SUV he was chasing ran off the road and hit a jogger. The jogger died at the scene.

Teen Tasered In Neck Talks For First Time (WCCO)

Teen Tasered In Neck Talks For First Time:

The video of him being tasered by a Minneapolis police officer has garnered an FBI investigation and national media attention. Eighteen-year-old Rolando Ruiz spoke publicly for the first time about the incident last April on Wednesday. Ruiz was arrested after he allegedly broke a window of an officer's personal car parked in the lot by the 2nd Precinct station in Minneapolis. In an interview, reporter Caroline Lowe asked Ruiz what he was doing in the moments just before Officer Todd Lappegaard tasered him. "You were never resisting?," Lowe asked. "Never. I didn't even move," Ruiz said, adding, "I didn't get a chance to say anything. He tased me in the back of my neck. I was falling. He kept it pinned against my back and pinned himself down against me with his knee on my back and hand against the car, almost like he was punishing me." ...

Man Claims Mpls. Unnecessarily Used Taser (KSTP)

Man Claims Mpls. Unnecessarily Used Taser:

A man is accusing Minneapolis police officers of excessive force after he said they unnecessarily used a Taser on him. He says dash cam video proves his claim and his is threatening a lawsuit... This is the third accusation of police misconduct backed by video tape made against the Minneapolis police department in less than three months. In August, Derryl Jenkins accused police of excessive force for an incident in February. Video showed six officers as they punched and kicked Jenkins during a traffic stop in February. In September, Nicholas Kastner alleged police misconduct for an incident in a downtown parking ramp in December 2008. Video of the incident showed a Minneapolis officer kicking him and then using a taser on him twice.

Raw Video: Mpls. Cop Tasers Man With Hands On Car (WCCO)

Raw Video: Mpls. Cop Tasers Man With Hands On Car (video)

MPD Chief Calls Taser Video 'Very Disturbing' (WCCO)

MPD Chief Calls Taser Video 'Very Disturbing' (video)

Rights violations alleged in Minneapolis tasing (Star Tribune)

Rights violations alleged in Minneapolis tasing:

Rolando Demetrio Ruiz, 18, has filed a notice of claim alleging civil rights and other violations in the April 30 incident. The notice cites the city, Police Chief Tim Dolan, officer Todd Lappegaard as well as other unknown and unnamed Minneapolis officers. The claim and video are the latest to raise questions about Minneapolis police conduct, especially in the use of force. In August, Dolan ordered all officers to watch video of a February incident in which six officers punch and kick a man face-down in a snowbank... The video, which includes sound, starts with Ruiz facing a car with his hands on the hood. An officer approaches from behind and places a Taser against the back of Ruiz's neck for 15 seconds. In the notice and in an interview, Goins identified the officer as Lappegaard...

Video Shows Mpls. Cop Taser Man With Hands On Car (WCCO)

Video Shows Mpls. Cop Taser Man With Hands On Car (video)

Video Shows Mpls. Cop Taser Man With Hands On Car (WCCO)

Video Shows Mpls. Cop Taser Man With Hands On Car:

The Minneapolis Police Department is again defending itself against accusations that an officer went too far during an arrest. Video given to WCCO-TV late Monday night shows a man with his hands on a squad car when an officer uses a Taser on his neck. Attorney Albert Goins is suing the City of Minneapolis on behalf of his client, Rolando Ruiz. They're asking for $75,000 and that the officer involved be reprimanded. The video given to WCCO starts only seconds before the Taser is used on Ruiz, not what led up to the incident. But in that time, no struggle can be seen before the officer used his Taser on Ruiz. What is seen is Ruiz with his hands on the hood of the officer's car. The dash camera of the squad car was rolling when the officer approached Ruiz with Taser in hand. "Takes that Taser, puts it to the back of his neck and shocks him until he is incapacitated on the ground, slumped before the squad car," said Albert Goins...

Roseville man alleges Minneapolis police brutality (KARE)

Roseville man alleges Minneapolis police brutality:

In the last several weeks, Minneapolis police officers sworn to uphold the law have been under fire, some for allegedly breaking it and others for putting the department in a light that has some members of the public questioning its integrity. It's the last thing police chief Tim Dolan wants anyone to think. "We wanted to make sure that people know things aren't running amok in the Minneapolis Police Department," says Dolan. Last month, a police car video surfaced showing officers kicking and punching a man while arresting him. This week, we learned seven Minneapolis officers are named in a state report for allegedly committing crimes as members of the metro gang strike force. And now, there's another video of an alleged beating of a suspect at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer...

Kastner gets out on the passenger side, his attorney says, without resistance... And that's when the alleged beating begins. Officer Appledorn is seen on the video repeatedly striking Kastner...

(posting date is estimated -- exact date not noted in article)

MPD officer writes controversial email defending officers in beating, ripping FBI (City Pages)

MPD officer writes controversial email defending officers in beating, ripping FBI:

Last month, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan asked the FBI to investigate an incident where six police officers are caught on video beating a man during an arrest last February. He said some of the video concerned him and he wanted an outside agency to investigate the matter. The video and story became public when the man arrested in the tape, Derryl Jenkins, brought the issue to the police for further investigation of his case. He says unnecessary force was used against him. Apparently one 35-year veteran of the police force is pretty ticked off. In an email to colleagues about the incident, Lieutenant Mike Sauro defended the cops and police are backing away from his statements. His views directly contradict the concern express by his own boss. Sauro also takes a couple hits at the FBI...

The irony? Sauro has an excessive force problem of his own. The city of Minneapolis had to pay more than $1 million in the 90s after he was the subject of an excessive force civil lawsuit. Whoops!

Cop's Heated E-Mail Defends Officers In Beating (WCCO)

Cop's Heated E-Mail Defends Officers In Beating:

A 35-year veteran on the Minneapolis police force is defending colleagues accused of going too far during an arrest. But that's not all. He advocated an approach to the use of force that directly contradicts what his boss, Police Chief Tim Dolan, has said. The video showed six officers kicking and punching Derryl Jenkins in February. Last month: The city's police chief said he's concerned about some of what he sees there. He asked the FBI to investigate and told supervisors to use the video as a learning and training tool. That's when Lieutenant Mike Sauro sent an e-mail to his officers in the 4th precinct. The e-mail was titled "Use of Force." In it Sauro wrote, "What I observed was a controlled use of force by a group of highly trained professional police officers." ... Sauro is a high-profile supervisor who was the subject of an excessive force civil lawsuit that cost the city of Minneapolis more than $1 million back in the early 90s...

Minneapolis hit with another police brutality suit, man says he was beaten during arrest (City Pages)

Minneapolis hit with another police brutality suit, man says he was beaten during arrest:

Less than a month after one man accused the Minneapolis police of beating him during an arrest, another man is also suing the city for a similar incident last year. This man also has surveillance video of the altercation, which adds some serious weight to his argument. Nicholas Kastner of Roseville was arrested in downtown Minneapolis after allegedly breaking into a car in a parking ramp. But when police went to arrest him, he says he was "lying motionless" on the ground as police "brutally attacked" him, according to the Star Tribune report...

Roseville man says Minneapolis police beat him during his arrest (Star Tribune)

Roseville man says Minneapolis police beat him during his arrest:

A man who was arrested after breaking into a car in a Minneapolis parking ramp has sued the city, claiming that he was mistreated by the police in the December incident and that a video backs him up. In the federal lawsuit, Nicholas Kastner of Roseville said he was "lying motionless" on the ground when he was "brutally attacked" by officers Sherry Appeldorn and Joseph Will. "Kastner was fully compliant" when Appledorn "stomped on his back, kicked him at least a dozen times and shocked him at least twice with her Taser gun," said the suit filed by lawyer Frederick Goetz on Kastner's behalf...

Chief Dolan Responds to Mpls. Police Brutality Case (KSTP)

Chief Dolan Responds to Mpls. Police Brutality Case:

New video released Thursday shows a man surrendering only to be beaten by Minneapolis Police—the second video of alleged police brutality in a month. The last video of alleged police misconduct released two weeks ago led Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan to order all of his 800 officers to watch a video in which six officers punched and kicked Derryl Jenkins, 42, during a traffic stop. In this new video—which is now at the center of a lawsuit and internal affairs investigation—a veteran Minneapolis officer is seen kicking a man suspected of breaking into cars in a downtown parking ramp...

Minneapolis police brutality costs city some serious cash (City Pages)

Minneapolis police brutality costs city some serious cash:

Compared to St. Paul, Minneapolis's numbers for police misconduct payouts are way high: $700,000 versus $9.5 million from 2005 until today. To be fair, half of Minneapolis's payout is from one accidental shooting of a police officer: Duy Ngo. The Derryl Jenkins case has put the spotlight on how some officers with the Minneapolis Police Department treat people they arrest. Jenkins's attorney released a telltale video taken from a squad car that shows five officers beating him after he was pulled over. Chief Tim Dolan has asked the FBI to look into the matter...

In the past four years, Minneapolis paid about $9.5 million in about 80 police misconduct settlements: almost as much as the city paid in the preceding ten years, but in half the time...

Minneapolis police officers required to watch beating video (MPR)

Minneapolis police officers required to watch beating video:

Starting today, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department will be required to view a videotaped incident in which officers kicked and punched a man who they say resisted before he was arrested. Officers will be with a supervisor when they watch the video of a traffic stop recorded in February that shows an officer struggling to wrestle 42-year-old Derryl Jenkins to the ground. Backup units arrive and several of those officers punch and kick Jenkins as they try to handcuff him. Jenkins sustained cuts and bruises and was briefly hospitalized...

All Cops to Watch Police Beating Video (KMSP)

All Cops to Watch Police Beating Video:

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan has ordered all officers on the force to watch the dash cam video of a man being punched and kicked by six officers during a traffic stop... The video shows six officers punching and kicking Derryl Jenkins, 42, during a Feb. 19 traffic stop for speeding in the area of Dowling Ave. N. and Penn Ave. N. in Minneapolis...

Minneapolis Police Will Watch Beating Video (WCCO)

Minneapolis Police Will Watch Beating Video:

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan is ordering his force to watch squad-car video that shows a man being punched and kicked by officers... The incident happened in February. The video shows Derryl Jenkins being arrested, and six officers are seen on the tape repeatedly punching and kicking Jenkins...

Police to change review policy for dash cam videos (MPR)

Police to change review policy for dash cam videos:

Minneapolis police officials say they will make minor changes to the department's policy on videos recorded from police vehicles. The updates are a response to a videotaped incident in which officers kicked and punched a man who they say resisted before he was arrested. The changes will mean more videos will get reviewed... The video of a traffic stop recorded in February shows an officer struggling to wrestle 42-year-old Derryl Jenkins to the ground. Backup units arrive and several of those officers punch and kick Jenkins as they try to handcuff him. Jenkins sustained cuts and bruises and was briefly hospitalized...

Derryl Jenkins Arrest Police Report (MPR)

Derryl Jenkins Arrest Police Report (document image)

Dolan expresses concern about officers' actions (MPR)

Dolan expresses concern about officers' actions:

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan on Tuesday described an altercation between officers and a suspect during a February traffic stop as "a heck of a battle," and said he had concerns over some of the officers' actions. Dolan said it will take at least six months for the FBI to determine if his officers used excessive force in a February traffic stop. The federal agency has agreed to review a video depicting Minneapolis police officers using force to subdue a man during a February traffic stop...At one point, the squad car camera shows several officers kicking and punching Jenkins, 42, as he is lying on his stomach in a snowbank. Dolan said he saw the video and has concerns over the officers who kicked Jenkins...

What do you see in the Derryl Jenkins traffic-stop video? (MPR)

What do you see in the Derryl Jenkins traffic-stop video? (video)

(Contains dash-camera video of police beating)

Man Beaten by Minn. Police: 'No One Deserved' That (KSTP)

Man Beaten by Minn. Police: 'No One Deserved' That:

A man who's seen in a police video being kicked and punched by Minneapolis officers says he made the recording public in order to prevent the same thing happening to others. Derryl Jenkins told The Associated Press on Tuesday, "No one deserved what happened to me that night." A Minneapolis officer pulled over the 43-year-old Jenkins last February. The video shows the two talking, then struggling, and soon several other officers arrive and are seen punching and kicking Jenkins, of Brooklyn Center...

Editorial: The troubling arrest of Derryl Jenkins -- Why didn't video prompt earlier probe by Minneapolis police? (Star Tribune)

Editorial: The troubling arrest of Derryl Jenkins -- Why didn't video prompt earlier probe by Minneapolis police?

... you'd think that police would be more careful with suspects -- especially now that many squads have "dash cams.'' Yet that painful history apparently wasn't on the minds of a half dozen Minneapolis officers last winter. In February, Brooklyn Center resident Derryl Jenkins, 43, was stopped by Minneapolis police at about 3 a.m. on the city's North Side. After a scuffle with arresting officer Richard Walker, several additional officers arrived and began punching and kicking Jenkins...

FBI to review video of Mpls arrest, beating (MPR)

FBI to review video of Mpls arrest, beating:

The FBI has agreed to review a video depicting Minneapolis police officers using force to subdue a man during a February traffic stop. At one point, the squad car camera shows several officers kicking and punching Derryl Jenkins, 42, as he is lying on his stomach in a snowbank. Officers claimed Jenkins was speeding and that he fought with officers. But those charges were later dropped...

Police car footage of Derryl Jenkins' arrest (MPR)

Police car footage of Derryl Jenkins' arrest (video)

(MPR: This video, provided by Attorney Paul Edlund, shows six Minneapolis Police Officers punching and kicking Derryl Jenkins, 42, during a traffic stop on Feb. 19 in north Minneapolis.)

Chief Reviews Mpls Police Beating Video (KMSP)

Chief Reviews Mpls Police Beating Video:

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan has reviewed the dash cam video of officers beating a man stopped for speeding and says he will ask the FBI to investigate the case... Jenkins' attorney says charges in that case where eventually dropped, but he's now considering a lawsuit against the Minneapolis Police Department.

Alleged Police Brutality in Minneapolis (KMSP)

Alleged Police Brutality in Minneapolis:

A Minneapolis man is claiming he's the victim of police brutality after a traffic stop put him in the hospital. Derryl Jenkins, 42, was stopped for speeding in February. A criminal complaint obtained by FOX 9 says Jenkins was driving 15 mph over the speed limit in the area of Dowling Ave. and Penn Ave. in north Minneapolis... After reviewing the video, [Minneapolis Police Chief Tim] Dolan released the following statement Monday: "... Some of the actions of responding officers, specifically the kicking of the suspect, give me concern; because of this, I am asking for an outside review by the FBI. Additionally, the incident has been referred to my Internal Affairs and Training Units for a review of our arrest procedures in dealing with suspects resisting arrest."

PHOTOS Minneapolis Police Beating Victim (KMSP)

PHOTOS Minneapolis Police Beating Victim:

Derryl Jenkins, 42, was stopped for speeding in February. A criminal complaint obtained by FOX 9 says Jenkins was driving 15 mph over the speed limit in the area of Dowling Ave. N. and Penn Ave. N. in Minneapolis... After reviewing the video, Dolan released the following statement: "I have reviewed the videos of the arrest of Mr. Jenkins by Officer Walker. Hand to hand fighting with a suspect on the street is one of the most dangerous encounters for police officers. Officer Walker’s actions all appear to be very appropriate. Some of the actions of responding officers, specifically the kicking of the suspect, give me concern; because of this, I am asking for an outside review by the FBI. Additionally, the incident has been referred to my Internal Affairs and Training Units for a review of our arrest procedures in dealing with suspects resisting arrest..."

(Article includes slide show with 18 photos)

Man Accuses Mpls. Police of Brutality (KSTP)

Man Accuses Mpls. Police of Brutality:

The Minneapolis Police chief says he will review a video showing six of his officers punching and kicking a 42-year-old man during a traffic stop... Jenkins had to have seven stitches above his eye after the six officers punched and kicked him during the incident. Jenkins was with charged assault and refusing to submit to alcohol tests, but those charges have been dropped...

(article includes link to police dashboard video)

FBI Agrees to Investigate MPD Brutality Claim (KSTP)

FBI Agrees to Investigate MPD Brutality Claim:

The FBI has agreed to investigate the police brutality claims of a man whose arrest was recorded by a Minneapolis squad car dashboard camera. Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan asked the FBI to investigate Derryl Jenkins' claim after viewing the video. The video shows six officers punching and kicking Jenkins, 42, during a traffic stop in Minneapolis in February...

Tale of the tape in arrest (Star Tribune)

Tale of the tape in arrest:

... Walker maneuvered Jenkins into a position where he was face-down in a snowbank, his sweat pants pulled down during the struggle and his bare buttocks exposed. Walker lay on top of him, waiting for backup. Several other officers soon arrived and started punching and kicking Jenkins. One officer stunned Jenkins three times with a Taser, the first two times without effect, the officers said. Jenkins eventually lay motionless, face down. Each of the officers involved filed a report afterward. All said they were working to subdue Jenkins, whose muscles were tight and resistant...

[Derryl Jenkin's attorney Paul] Edlund said he learned of the video's existence about two weeks after the incident, and obtained it from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. "If they falsify police reports when they know it's on video, what are they doing when it isn't on video?" Edlund asked.

Raw: MPD Arrest Video Under Investigation (WCCO)

Raw: MPD Arrest Video Under Investigation (video)

MPD chief asking FBI to review violent arrest tape (City Pages)

MPD chief asking FBI to review violent arrest tape:

When 42-year-old Derryl Jenkins was pulled over in February as he drove through north Minneapolis, the altercation that followed left him at the hospital with a bloodied and bruised faced. He had to receive seven stitches above his eye after he was punched and kicked by six officers on the scene.
Jenkins said he was a victim of police brutality and now he has a squad video that shows it. Now Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan is asking the FBI to review the tape for any wrongdoing by officers that came on to the scene. Officer Richard Walker pulled Jenkins over around 3 a.m. for allegedly driving 15 miles-per-hour over the speed limit. After Walker is seen wrestling Jenkins to the ground, he calls for back up and other officers arrived shortly after. In the video, the officers are seen repeatedly punching and kicking Jenkins as they try to arrest him...

Dolan to ask FBI to examine tape of arrest, fight (Star Tribune)

Dolan to ask FBI to examine tape of arrest, fight:

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan said today he will ask the FBI to investigate an incident in which a squad car video captured police punching and kicking a man as they tried to arrest him in February after a stop for speeding...Jenkins was stopped by Minneapolis police at 3 a.m. Feb. 19 on Penn Avenue N. for allegedly going 15 miles per hour over the speed limit. He ended up at North Memorial Medical Center, his face bloodied and bruised. He required seven stitches above his eye after six officers punched and kicked him while he was face-down in a snowbank. He was treated at the hospital and then jailed for four days...

Police car footage of Jenkins' arrest (Star Tribune)

Police car footage of Jenkins' arrest (video)

(Star Tribune: This video from a police car of the arrest of 42-year-old Derryl Jenkins contains strong language. The audio is from police radio and from a cell phone message left by Jenkins on a friend's phone. Video provided by attorney Paul Edlund.)

Reporter's Notebook: Controversial traffic stop (Star Tribune)

Reporter's Notebook: Controversial traffic stop (video)

(Star Tribune: Reporters Rochelle Olson and David Chanen discuss the controversial traffic stop of Derryl Jenkins by Minneapolis police last February.)

Man Accuses Mpls. Police Of Unprovoked Beating (WCCO)

Man Accuses Mpls. Police Of Unprovoked Beating:

The Minneapolis police chief says he will review a video showing six of his officers punching and kicking a 42-year-old man during a traffic stop. Chief Tim Dolan says he will review the video of Derryl Jenkins' arrest on Monday... Jenkins had to have seven stitches above his eye after the six officers punched and kicked him during the incident...