Four Minneapolis police trainers were accused of using excessive force in civil lawsuits the city settled before they received their current assignments, according to a review of federal court documents.
One police trainer allegedly struck an disabled man in the head. Another allegedly beat and falsely arrested a Black man who repeated a question. A fifth officer, who now reviews use-of-force incidents, allegedly took part in the assault of a man who claimed he nearly died. That lawsuit was settled for nearly $1 million.
The lawsuits were settled without a finding of fault. And many of the allegations date back a decade or more. But as the Minnesota Department of Human Rights tasks the Minneapolis Police Department with overhauling its culture and accountability processes — including uses of excessive force that disproportionately impacted people of color — advocates for police reform say these officers’ leadership positions raise concerns over the department’s commitment to change.
The two lieutenants who oversee all of the department’s training are Lt. Troy Carlson and Lt. Adam Lepinski. Carlson has been disciplined twice for using excessive force. In one of those cases, the city paid $19,500 to settle allegations Carlson slammed his knee into a man’s face while the man kneeled with his arms raised. Lepinski has five open complaints dating back to 2022. It’s not clear what the nature of those complaints are. In 2018, the city paid a man $25,000 to settle allegations Lepinski pepper-sprayed him for no reason…