St. Paul Man Charged With Attempted Murder Of Minneapolis Cops

Article from the Minnesota Reformer

MINNEAPOLIS — A St. Paul man was charged Tuesday with attempted murder of Minneapolis police officers, assault, armed riot and a weapons violation in connection with a Saturday night after-curfew encounter with Minneapolis police.

According to a criminal complaint, Jaleel Kevin Stallings, 27, approached police officers conducting a patrol along East Lake Street on May 30 around 10:54 p.m., following what officers noted were a combination of peaceful protests and property destruction that arose when video surfaced showing a Minneapolis police officer’s knee on the neck of George Floyd, killing him.

As others ran away from officers, Stallings walked toward them from behind a pick-up truck near 15th Avenue South, crouched down as if to pick up something, and officers — concerned about a rock or debris being thrown at them — shot a less-lethal round at the man, the complaint alleges.

An officer then saw three to four muzzle flashes from Stallings’ chest, and a round ricocheted in front of officers, leading other officers to believe the officer had been hit, the complaint says.

“Officers treated this as a deadly force situation as they believed Stallings was still armed and could kill them,” the complaint says.

Stallings resisted arrest as officers kicked him, and a Mini Draco AK-47 style pistol was found near the truck Stallings was hiding behind, according to charges.

The complaint says officers were wearing their full uniforms, SWAT vests and helmets, and though one officer had pain in their hand and foot, an X-ray revealed no broken bones. A metro-wide curfew had been in place since 8:00 p.m.

Also hiding behind truck, police say, was Kearsten Wallin of St. Paul, who told police she was in the area to assist with cleanup efforts and was waiting for a ride home; and Virgil Jackson Jr., who was present to protect his Lake Street business, who both told police they heard the shots.

Both Wallin and Jackson ran or hid from the gunfire, they said according to the complaint, adding that they did not know Stallings. Both gave statements to police while in custody. The complaint calls both Wallin and Jackson “co-defendants” and alleges they were both “involved in this incident” and that complaints would be coming for both. They remain at the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of riot, but have not been formally charged.

The complaint says officers attempted to take a statement from Stallings. He asked if anyone had been killed, was told no, and then asked for a lawyer, according to the complaint.

Police say the officers had their body cameras activated, and that footage corroborates the officers’ statements. Stallings’ bail has been set at $500,000.