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Justin Stetson, a former Minneapolis cop pleaded guilty in connection with the 2020 assault of Jaleel Stallings on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. He was charged with felony third-degree assault and a gross misdemeanor. Justin Stetson admitted to having assaulted Stallings and that the “use of force” was unnecessary and unreasonable. He agreed that his actions were beyond what officers would legally do.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the case and addressed Jaleel’s case to be “historic” in nature. Justin Stetson would either face a maximum sentence of five years or has to remain law-abiding while being on probation for two years. It was also revealed that the felony charge will be removed if Stetson complies with the law on probation.
Former cop Justin Stetson pleaded guilty in connection to assaulting BLM protestor Jaleel Stallings back in 2020
The tragic incident took place on May 30, 2020, as Justin Stetson and other officers were enforcing a curfew and they spotted four people in a parking area. One of them was Jaleel Stallings, who had a permit to carry a gun. Officers soon opened fire at the group and one of the rubber bullets hit Jaleel in the chest.
In response, Stallings fired three shots at the cops, however, the bullets did not hurt anybody. Stallings stated that he thought that they were attacked by civilians, and hence, opened fire in self-defense.
When Jaleel later realized that it was the police, he reportedly dropped his gun and also lay on the ground. Justin Stetson, however, punched Jaleel multiple times and kicked him in the head and face. The former cop also slammed Stallings' head on the pavement.
Jaleel Stallings sustained several injuries including a fracture in his eye socket, and several bruises and cuts. Despite being injured, Stallings was charged with an attempt to murder for opening fire at the cops. He faced years behind bars till he was found innocent. Recalling the incident, Justin Stetson admitted that his reaction of out of proportion that day and was unreasonable.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who was prosecuting the case, released a statement about the same. He said that police officers rarely plead guilty to using excessive force in the line of duty but that Stetson had admitted to it "under color of his official authority," which was against the law.
He added that with the plea, Minnesota has proven once again that law enforcement officers will be held accountable for their oath to protect the law. He noted that accountability wasn't just justice but that it was an "important step" on the path of justice.
Stetson’s sentencing has been scheduled for August 9, 2023. He pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and misconduct of a police officer. In exchange for the plea, it has been mentioned that his sentence will stay for two years. Stetson also cannot work as a police officer again.
Jaleel Stallings objected to Stetson’s plea deal and said that he felt that the sentence was lenient and gave the latter a way out. He added that the sentence didn't really deter the police officers who might look to follow in the footsteps from taking similar actions.
Stallings noted that the lack of accountability was what bothered him the most. He even said that at this point, even though he was innocent, he had served more jail time than any of the officers involved.
Stetson has to satisfy certain conditions including doing 30-90 days of community service and not being able to own a firearm
After Justin Stetson’s sentencing takes place in August, he will have to fulfill certain conditions. This would include writing an apology letter to Jaleel, no possessing firearms, completing 30-90 days of community service, and attending anger management classes.
In the court, it was held that Stetson “crossed the line, went too far” in his actions back in 2020. The former cop wrote the apology letter to Stallings, where he stated that he wanted to apologize to the latter and accept responsibility for his conduct. The letter added that the crimes he committed were serious as one hurt Stallings and the other hurt the people of Minnesota.
The letter went on to say that the former cop regretted his actions and understood the harm that it caused. It continued to say that Stetson acknowledged that no one ever had the right to "inexcusably harm another person."
Justin Stetson also wrote that he is ready to take complete accountability for whatever went wrong three years back. He is also willing to take accountability for the brutality that Jaleel Stallings had to face back then. Justin wrote in the letter,
“Through my counseling, I have realized there is a lack of trust in police especially on the part of non-whites, and that this lack of trust is foundationally related to interactions that individuals, like yourself, have had with particular officers, like myself.”
The court decided on such conditions for Justin Stetson since he is a first-time offender and also has a clean record till 2020.
