The state’s attorney general said this week that a former Minneapolis police officer is accused of beating a man while performing official duties.
According to a press release from the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Justin Stetson is charged with one count of third-degree assault in connection with the beating of Jaleel Stallings on May 30, 2020, which took place in Minneapolis days after George Floyd’s death at the hands of police.
Even when Stallings had given up and was laying face down on the ground, Stetson continued to strike him for over 30 seconds, according to the news release, which also stated that Stallings had fractured his left orbital wall. Stetson’s actions were “unreasonable, excessive, and contrary to commonly established police procedure,” the press release stated after an expert use-of-force evaluation of the case.
According to the news release, Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman forwarded the case to Ellison’s office in the spring of 2022 even though Stetson no longer has a valid Minnesota peace officer’s license.
