Man sues St. Paul, alleging police brutality

The city of St. Paul is being sued in federal court over an alleged incident of police brutality from 2007.

Gerald Hutchinson, 59, said he was beaten by police after being mistaken for a suspect in the alley behind his St. Paul home nearly six years ago. His lawsuit said he suffered a black eye, lacerations and "emotional harm" as a result of the incident.

According to the suit, he was arrested, detained for "about 3 days" and never charged.

An internal affairs investigation found that Officer David Stokes used excessive force in arresting Hutchinson. The other officers involved were exonerated.

Hutchinson filed his lawsuit just months before the statute of limitations deadline. Attorney Joshua Williams said his client is seeking more than $75,000 in damages.

"I can't give back to him what those officers took from him," Williams said. "I can't get him back his dignity. Based on past experience, I'm not going to get a meaningful apology. We can sue for money damages."

St. Paul has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit. But the City Council will vote next week to hire outside counsel to represent the officer in court. The council's agenda says the city will set aside up to $20,000 for that purpose.