Minneapolis City Council approves $95K settlement with man who sued over ex-MPD officer’s conduct

The Minneapolis City Council has formally approved a settlement with a man who sued the city and a former police officer over the officer’s conduct.

At the council’s regular meeting Thursday morning, councilors voted to authorize a $95,000 payment to Ramone Brown. It was passed along with several other measures without opposition or any open discussion.

Brown sued the city and former Minneapolis Police Officer Ty Jindra last fall, alleging that Jindra came up to him for no reason while he was at a gas station on July 5, 2019, ordered him out of his vehicle, searched the vehicle and then planted a white powdery substance before threatening to arrest Brown. Brown wasn’t taken into custody but his lawsuit alleged that Jindra’s actions amounted to civil rights violations through racial discrimination and unreasonable search and seizure, as well as assault, battery and false imprisonment. Additionally, his lawsuit said Jindra caused him emotional distress and the city negligently supervised and retained Jindra.

Jindra was federally indicted in November 2020 on 11 counts, as prosecutors said he used his position to get drugs and other substances, then failed to report and log those substances into evidence and found ways to search people, vehicles and homes to seize more drugs. He admitted to the crimes after he was convicted, saying he struggled with addiction. He was sentenced in June 2022 to 38 months in prison and a year of supervised release.

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