Police Brutality and Excessive Force Lawyer Minneapolis, MN

Police officers may only use reasonable force to arrest a suspect. Our law office provides the highest level of representation to those who have been the victims of excessive and unreasonable force by officers during their arrest. For example, we obtained a six-figure settlement for a woman who was hit by a squad car that the officer intentionally used as a weapon to arrest her. In another case, we obtained a six-figure settlement for an individual who police mistakenly believed fit the description of an individual who was unlawfully carrying a firearm and was violently slammed by the officer face first to the ground even though he was not resisting arrest. Both of these cases are examples of police brutality, as the officers used far more force than was necessary to arrest the suspect.

Police brutality can take many forms. At the Magna Law Firm, we represent police brutality victims where officers have used the following types of excessive force:

• Police batons — These cases arise when officers, often times in violation of their own policies and procedures, repeatedly strike a suspect after the suspect was disabled and subdued.
• Tasers — Excessive force here occurs when the suspect did not pose a threat to officers yet officers repeatedly tased the victim causing serious injury. The powerful electrical charge in stun guns can change heart rhythm and cause heart attacks.
• Pepper spray (OC spray) — The excessive force here occurs when officers intentionally discharge pepper spray at close range into a suspect’s nose, mouth or eyes, even when the suspect presents no threat to officers. Sometimes, officers will continue to use the pepper spray even when the suspect is showing signs of obvious respiratory distress.
• Handcuffs — We represent clients who have sustained severe facial injuries when thrown to the ground or against a wall while being subdued and handcuffed
• Choke holds/kicks/take-downs — These physically violent techniques are oftentimes used by officers when the circumstances do not justify such use of force, in violation of department policy.

In each case, we examine whether an objective and reasonable officer in the same circumstances would have acted in the same way, whether the officer(s) followed departmental procedure and whether the suspect was even resisting arrest and the severity level of the resulting injury.

If you have been the victim of police brutality, regardless of where it happened, please call 763-438-3032 to schedule a free legal consultation with our law firm.