ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A man who claimed in a federal lawsuit that a St. Paul police officer slammed him into a wall and knocked him unconscious has reached a $45,000 settlement with the city.
The City Council is expected to approve a $45,000 settlement on Wednesday, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported (https://bit.ly/1i79WNB ).
The settlement agreement says the deal is the compromise of a “disputed claim” and isn’t an admission of liability by police or the city.
Stephen M. Wolfe, 42, said he had guests at his downtown St. Paul apartment in October 2011 when he heard aggressive pounding on the door. He said he asked someone to call police and he opened the door while holding a rifle, although he lowered it when he realized the threat wasn’t deadly.
In its answer to the lawsuit, the city said police responded to a 911 call from a man who said his girlfriend had been pulled into Wolfe’s apartment and that Wolfe pulled a shotgun on him.
Wolfe said when police arrived, they asked him to step into the hallway, where they immediately handcuffed him and forced him to kneel on the ground. He said he remained compliant, although the city said he was screaming and swearing at officers.
When Wolfe asked why the person who was pounding on his door wasn’t being detained or questioned, an officer slammed his head into a wall, Wolfe alleged. He said his glasses were broken, his neck, back and shoulder were injured, and he suffered a gash to his head and was knocked unconscious.
The city denied his account.
Wolfe was charged with felony terroristic threats in the case. He pleaded guilty and was placed on supervised probation.
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Information from: St. Paul Pioneer Press, https://www.twincities.com
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