Rachel Moran, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, spoke with Minnesota Public Radio about a recent Minnesota Court of Appeals decision that upheld the city’s choice not to indemnify a former police officer.
From the article:
In a rare move, the city of Minneapolis says it will not cover the legal expenses of a former police officer who’s being sued for using excessive force. The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled this week that the city is on solid ground in not indemnifying the former policeman, but it’s unclear if the city’s decision signals a major change in how it handles police misconduct settlements. ...
University of St. Thomas Professor Rachel Moran, who studies police accountability, said that not indemnifying police officers is rare.
“There’s perhaps more of an awakening to the fact that the city doesn’t want to be responsible for and doesn’t want even the look of paying for officers who are doing really problematic things,” Moran said.
Moran said that the city’s decision may have more to do with the specific facts of Simmons’ claim and doesn’t necessarily signal a major policy shift against indemnifying police officers.
