ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A Minnesota man who filed a lawsuit saying that he was confronted and beaten outside a grocery store for taking too many free food samples has dropped his legal challenge.
Erwin Lingitz, 69, filed his lawsuit in federal court last March seeking at least $375,000 in damages for the 2010 incident at the Cub Foods store in White Bear Lake.
Lingitz’s lawsuit said he left his wife in the car while he went inside the store to pick up her prescription and was offered free food samples along with additional samples for his wife, the Star Tribune (https://strib.mn/1k9H1tC ) reported.
A security guard confronted Lingitz outside the store and a struggle ensued. An off-duty sheriff’s deputy joined in the struggle and tried to handcuff Lingitz. The store denied Lingitz’s claim that he was kicked or slammed to the ground.
According to documents filed in U.S. District Court, Lingitz, of Gem Lake, agreed to drop his claim that his civil rights were violated, that excessive force was used and that he was denied medical care while he was held in Ramsey County Jail.
Defendants in the lawsuit included Ramsey County, a store security guard, the store’s security firm and Cub Foods’ parent company.
Under terms of the agreement, none of the damages Lingitz sought were awarded. Ramsey County paid attorney fees of $3,000. The agreement also prohibits the parties from discussing the case publicly.
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Information from: Star Tribune, https://www.startribune.com
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