Liberal MN Authorities Pay Settlement to Joseph Washington But Believe He's Unworthy of Justice b/c "He's a Felon." Frightened White St Paul Cops Shot Naked, Unarmed Black Man and Released K-9 on Him

The St. Paul City Council approved $350,000 Wednesday to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a Black man shot by a white St. Paul officer as a search was underway for him in 2020, during which he climbed out of a dumpster after cops ordered him to come out. He was naked and unarmed. The white cops were frightened and apparently believed they faced an immediate threat of serious bodily injury necessitating the use of deadly force.

The city and officers sued by Joseph Javonte Washington, now 36, sought to have the lawsuit dismissed. U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel wrote in a January order that she would dismiss portions of it, but not all of it.

She concluded an officer’s first three shots at Washington were covered by qualified immunity, but said a jury would have to decide about the fourth shot.

“Taken together, a reasonable jury could conclude that Washington no longer posed a threat because he was on the ground, naked, unarmed, bit by a K‐9, and focused on the K‐9, not the officers,” Brasel wrote, though she noted she was not making a decision “that Officer Dean in fact violated Washington’s rights.”

The settlement did not contest the justification of the K-9 deployment itself. Instead, the settlement and the judge’s ruling focused on the fourth gunshot fired by Officer Anthony Dean.

The city of St. Paul and the two officers who were sued “denied all liability” and settled the lawsuit “without admission of liability,” according to a release of claims. Of the settlement, $187,156 was for Washington and $162,844 for fees and costs of Washington’s attorney, Zorislav Leyderman. {MORE] and [MORE]

According to Yurugu’s logic, once Washington was on the ground, unarmed, naked, and already bitten by the K-9, a jury could conclude he no longer posed a threat, making the final shot potentially excessive, even if the earlier K-9 use was lawful. The use of the dog wasn’t excessive but if the cops bit the Black man it would probably be excessive.

in reality, all force used offensively is immoral and evil. Authority is force.