The city of St. Paul will pay $50,000 to a man who claims police shocked him with a Taser as he rode his bicycle and repeatedly kicked him while he was on the ground.
The city council approved a settlement Wednesday with Christopher Nathan Conner of St. Paul. Conner claimed two officers assaulted him late July 12, 2011, while he biked home from his job as a landscaper.
The officers did not admit the actions in the settlement.
According to Conner’s complaint filed in U.S. District Court, police Sgt. Andrew Shanley and officer Joshua Moore started to follow Conner in their squad car about 10:30 p.m. near Dale Street and Ashland Avenue. When they asked Conner what he was doing in the area, he responded, “(Expletive) you,” and kept biking, the complaint said.
At that point, Conner, who was riding on the sidewalk, felt the police car’s bumper hit his back tire, the complaint said. When Conner began to stop his bike, Shanley shocked him with a Taser, the complaint said.
Conner alleged he “felt paralyzed and could not feel his legs” after the Taser shocked him. The officers jumped out of their squad car and kicked Conner as he lay disabled on the ground, the complaint said.
The city’s answer to Conner’s complaint said that the incident occurred about 1 a.m. July 13 and that the officers stopped Conner because they thought he may have been involved in criminal activity.
Police found a small amount of methamphetamine in Conner’s backpack, but drug possession charges against him were dismissed in April 2012 when a judge found the officers did not have reasonable suspicion to seize Conner.
Conner sued the city for damages in January. The two parties agreed to the settlement last week.
Kia Farhang can be reached at 651-228-5488.
