new video obtained exclusively by mn
safety shows a saint paul officer being
suddenly attacked by a suspect the
incident was captured on dash cam video
as a police squad from a neighboring
agency was arriving
watch again as the suspect prepares to
fight by pulling up his pants
squaring up at the officer and taking a
full swing
the officer was knocked into a lane of
traffic with the suspect on top of him
and a car incoming
but by luck or by grace the car stopped
in time and another officer just arrived
able to taser the suspect and bring him
into custody and here the car takes
their foot off the brake and continues
towards the officer close enough that he
puts his hand and pushes against the car
to get up the suspect has since been
convicted of felony assault on an
officer
he was held on thirty thousand dollars
bond and unable to bond out he
ultimately pleaded guilty to felony
assault on an officer and was drunk at
the time so now also has his second dui
conviction the judge gave a sentence of
one year and one month a downward
departure from minnesota's sentencing
guidelines the probable cause statement
also alleges that the suspect spit at
officers used pcp and ultimately had to
be sedated by medics due to his behavior
here's where the case takes a bit of a
plot twist officers found one thousand
nine hundred dollars cash in the vehicle
and used civil asset forfeiture to take
ownership of the cash they found
the suspect now a plaintiff in a civil
case sued over the asset forfeiture he
states rather succinctly that the police
took nineteen hundred dollars all his
big bills and left him with only eighty
dollars left over and clarified that he
had no drugs or intent to sell yet his
money was still taken from him in a
court hearing in saint paul the city
argued he was convicted of charges
related to the seizure but this doesn't
seem true there was no drug conviction
in this matter and separately saint paul
was unable to show proof that they ever
served the suspect to allow him to
contest the asset forfeiture saint paul
said he was served at the hospital but
keep in mind medics had to sedate him
and he stated he was unconscious
negating the likelihood that he would
serve notice of the asset forfeiture
attempt ultimately the referee in this
civil matter sided with the plaintiff
allowing him to get his 1900 back
clarifying that he was never properly
served notice and that the forfeiture
did not appear to be related to the
charges in this matter the charges of
dui and assault on an officer