Police Excessive Force

Waite Park, MN: (Sep-28-07) Richard Town, a Sartell man, brought a lawsuit against the town, accusing two city officers of using excessive force during a traffic stop in 2005. Town accused officers Brad Thelen and Jerry Gangle of violating his civil rights and leaving him with a fractured rib and collapsed lung after a traffic stop east of St. Cloud. Court documents stated that a Minnesota State Patrol trooper stopped Town's vehicle in August 2005 on suspicion of speeding and then requested assistance from a drug-detecting dog to search Town's vehicle for drugs. Thelen and Gangle were on their way to a training session with two dogs and brought both to the scene to help. The lawsuit accused Thelen and Gangle of using excessive force after the trooper determined he was going to let Town go but keep a safe that was found in the trunk of the vehicle Town was driving. Town has difficulty speaking because of a stroke he suffered after a traffic crash in 1998. The trooper who stopped him originally thought that Town was providing false information, but realized it was a misunderstanding due to Town's medical condition.

In a settlement reached, Town, 29, will receive $365,000 as a payout from the town. A stipulation dismissing the lawsuit is expected to be filed within the next few weeks in federal court. The city will pay a $2,500 deductible to its insurance company, and the insurance will pay the remaining $362,500. [ST. CLOUD TIMES: POLICE FORCE]

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Published on Sep-29-07