Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Shock Video: Minneapolis Officer Tasers Man in Neck While His Hands Are on Hood of the Car

In a highly disturbing video, Minneapolis police officers are shown tasering a man who is clearly shown with his hands on the hood of a car and not resisting arrest. Rolando Ruiz is seen and heard screaming in pain from the taser, which is applied to the back of his neck and held to his body as he falls to the street.

The Minneapolis Police Department has been previously sued for such abuse caught on videotape.

Remarkably, Ruiz is asking only for $75,000 and discipline against the officer for violating his civil rights. That is a bargain basement price for the city, which should settle this case in a nanosecond.

I cannot imagine what could justify such an assault once the suspect is yielding in this fashion. Even if Ruiz was previously uncooperative, he is clearly not threatening the officer at the time of the tasering. What is particularly striking is not just the apparent submissive posture of the suspect but the cavalier attitude of the officer on the video. This comes on the same week that we posted other stories of the troubling use of tasers, here and here.

Here is some of the coverage of the tape from the station that first revealed the story:


For the video, click here

Unless there is an extraordinary untold story here, there is obvious grounds from not just tort liability but possible charges against the officer.

For the story and another video link, click here

46 thoughts on “Shock Video: Minneapolis Officer Tasers Man in Neck While His Hands Are on Hood of the Car”

  1. There was a settlement in this case:

    Lawsuit against ex-Mpls. cop in Taser case is settled

    The final piece of a 2009 lawsuit that stemmed from a Minneapolis police officer’s use of a Taser to subdue a suspect was settled Wednesday, according to U.S. District Court documents. Details of the settlement were not made public, and neither the former officer, Todd Lappegaard, nor the plaintiff Rolando Ruiz, now 21, or his attorney, Al Goins, could be reached for comment.

    Lappegaard lost his job as a result of the April 2009 incident, in which he stunned Ruiz in the neck and back with a Taser for at least 10 seconds. Ruiz was standing with his hands on the hood of Lappegaard’s patrol car when he was stunned, falling to the ground. Lappegaard argued that he was concerned Ruiz would fight, but city officials said Lappegaard should have waited for nearby officers to assist with the arrest.

    The city paid $75,000 to Ruiz in March 2010, plus $45,066 for his attorney’s fees to settle the suit. The 2010 payment resolved Ruiz’s claims against the city of Minneapolis and Police Chief Tim Dolan, but not the claim against Lappegaard.

    Lappegaard, a 17-year veteran of the police department, felt the firing was unfair but he was never rehired by the Minneapolis police.

  2. David,

    Thank you for posting the update. As I wrote above, exoneration is routine in these cases. Often this is followed by promotion of the officer, reminding the public that abuses are not just tolerated but are, in fact, encouraged.

  4. Buelah,

    Here’s my hint for the day, go to E-bay, look under collectables\Breweriana, Beer\bottles: glass. You’re (in theory) buying the bottles as collectibles, so it’s mostly hard to find\ regional\high end stuff. It’ll cost you a bit, but it can be worth it. Just make sure that anything you buy says “unopened.”

  5. AY, Why be insulting by wondering aloud if he is either? His point regarding allegiance is more valid than not IMO and he sparked a good debate.

  6. So is the man posing as “impostor” really bdaman or a billy derivative?

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