Minneapolis officers cited in misconduct lawsuits face little discipline
Before he was charged with the murder of George Floyd, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was accused of misconduct 17 times and received disciplinary action in only one instance. But misconduct complaints resulting in no discipline aren't limited to Chauvin. CBS News has uncovered a history of excessive force allegations at the department, with multiple officers racking up repeated complaints - and few consequences.
CBS News reviewed 20 police misconduct lawsuits filed since 2015 that involved 37 officers — 17 of those officers later received further misconduct complaints.
Additionally, three of those officers were fired for later incidents related to racism or alleged police brutality, and two were later involved in police killings that are currently under review. The city settled 13 of the lawsuits, leading to more than half a million dollars in payments. Four lawsuits were ongoing.
Since 2015, Minneapolis has paid out over $22.3 million in settlements, $20 million of which came from a single 2019 payment, which is separate from the cases reviewed by CBS News. And though Minneapolis regularly doles out settlements for alleged victims of police brutality, some payment recipients are not satisfied. They say payments aren't enough if the officers responsible are never disciplined.
In 2012, Zach King was leaving a Minneapolis nightclub with a handgun he was legally permitted to carry when he said he was stopped by an officer who saw the gun on his waist.
"He's like, 'Hey, what's that bulge on your — on your waist?' King recalled. "I show him my hands, like, 'Hey, I have a conceal and carry. And that's my gun, my weapon.' And like, six officers just came from outta everywhere."
King said the officers assaulted him. "They got their knee on me, almost like George Floyd," he said. "And I couldn't breathe."
He was hospitalized with a concussion, his face swollen with cuts and bruises from the beating.
King said he told officers he had the license to carry when they first approached him, but the department argued King didn't say he had a gun permit until later. King sued and settled for $122,000.
The officer who King says led the assault was Joshua Stewart. He has since notched nine more misconduct complaints. None have resulted in disciplinary action.
"It's pitiful. It's ridiculous. He should have been fired. He should have been taken off the force after what they did to me," King said.
The Minneapolis Police Department confirmed Stewart was still on the force. A department spokesman and Bob Kroll, the head of Minneapolis's police union, did not respond to questions regarding King's allegations that Stewart used excessive force.
Major cities pay out similar settlements for police misconduct. Activists calling to defund the police frequently cite the cost taxpayers spend on officer misconduct. This year alone, CBS News found that Los Angeles has settled for more than $6 million and Chicago more than $14 million. Since 2015, New York City has paid out more than $1 billion.
Last year, Minneapolis made headlines for a $20 million settlement — not included in the CBS News analysis — with the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, an Australian woman who was fatally shot after she called 911.
The officer who killed Ruszczyk Damond — named Mohamed Noor — had received a conduct complaint prior to shooting her. The details of that complaint are not public, and it resulted in no discipline. He has since been cited in two lawsuits related to separate incidents. Moor was found guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison.
Matt Sheridan contributed reporting.
