Former Minneapolis police officer Justin Stetson gets 2 years of probation in Jaleel Stallings assault
MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis Police officer learned his fate Monday for beating a man during the 2020 unrest following the murder of George Floyd.
Justin Stetson pleaded guilty in May to third-degree assault and misconduct of a police officer. It was part of a plea deal in which Stetson's sentence will be stayed for two years pending several conditions, including that he never seek work as a police officer again.
A criminal complaint said Stetson kicked and punched Jaleel Stallings in the head repeatedly and slammed his head on the ground in May 2020. The assault came after police shot Stallings with a rubber bullet and he shot back with live rounds. When Stallings realized it was the police who shot him, he dropped his gun and laid on the ground, per the criminal complaint. That's when Stetson assaulted him.
Other conditions included a written apology to Stallings, an anger management class, and no use or possession of firearms.
Stallings was charged and acquitted. The city of Minneapolis also paid him a $1.5 million settlement last year.
Stallings objected to Stetson's plea deal in May, telling WCCO he felt it was "far too lenient and just basically giving him a way out."