One of the Minneapolis police officers under investigation for fatally shooting Jamar Clark was sued for excessive force, in a separate case, 10 days before the Clark shooting, the Star Tribune reports.
Nathaniel Hanson alleges in his federal lawsuit that Officer Dustin Schwarze deployed a Taser three times at him during a 2011 traffic stop. Hanson, now 33, also accuses another officer of punching him multiple times, including while he was on the ground with his hands above his head. The plaintiff also says that he was falsely arrested and seeks more than $50,000 in damages.
Schwarze is one of two officers involved in the Nov. 15 shooting death of Clark. Witnesses said that Clark, 24, was handcuffed when the police shot him, which the officers deny. The incident sparked protests.
Officials are now examining video from local businesses, security cameras in the area and witnesses’ mobile phones. They have said, however, that none of those videos offers a clear picture of what happened.
Read more at the Star Tribune.