The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a lawsuit today on behalf of Kevin Wentz, an autistic man who was rendered unconscious and sustained a head wound as the result of excessive force from the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Department.
On September 30, 2024, Wentz was driving his car on I-169 and was pulled over by a state trooper for speeding. At some point Wentz believed the stop was over, so he drove away. When the trooper followed him, Wentz believed he was going somewhere else and did not pull over. The trooper called for backup.
When Wentz realized he was being pulled over, he exited the highway and pulled into a parking lot. Sheriff deputies arrived, including Deputy Struckman, who told the other officers that he was going to put Wentz “on his ass.”
When Wentz exited the car with his hands up, Struckman grabbed his arms from behind, raised them up above his shoulders, then leg-whipped Wentz’ legs, driving him into the pavement headfirst. Wentz was knocked out, sustained injuries to his head and his nose, and blood began to pour out of his nose and, though he was wearing a stocking hat, pool around his head.
“Deputy Struckman’s actions clearly violated the Fourth Amendment and undermine public trust in policing,” said ACLU-MN Staff Attorney Ian Bratlie. “It is important for our communities to hold police officers accountable when they use excessive force during an arrest. Police violence not only undermines public trust, but makes it more difficult for responsible law enforcement officers to protect and serve the public.”
“The brutality Kevin endured was inexcusable, and we are pursuing this lawsuit to demand justice and accountability on his behalf,” said ACLU-MN Legal Director Teresa Nelson. “We recognize that policing is a challenging profession, but upholding the Constitution is not optional — officers can and must do both.”
The ACLU of Minnesota is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that fights to defend, promote, and expand the rights of all Minnesotans through litigation, lobbying and community engagement.