$90K Settlement For Man Who Says St. Paul Cop Slammed His Head Into Sidewalk

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The city of St. Paul has agreed to pay $90,000 to a man who had his head slammed into a sidewalk as he was being handcuffed by police in a case of mistake in identity.

The St. Paul City Council agreed to the settlement Wednesday with Robin Kirkland Neal. The case stemmed from an incident in June of 2012.

The Pioneer Press reports that Neal had sued the city, saying that he was slammed into a sidewalk while being handcuffed outside a bar as officers were responding to a call of a man with a gun. Neal, who was not the suspect, said he suffered wounds to his face, which bled profusely.

The city had requested that Neal's lawsuit be thrown out. However, a U.S. District Court judge denied the request, and an appeals court upheld the decision, the newspaper reports.

Neal told The Pioneer Press that he still has lingering neck pain problems from the incident. His attorney said that Neal, 52, is now apprehensive whenever police are around.

The officer involved in the incident, Daniel Ficcadenti, was not disciplined, the newspaper reports.