Ramsey County settles lawsuit with man using walker, allegedly mistaken for crime suspect and pushed by deputies in Falcon Heights

Greta Kaul, Star Tribune
·2 min read

Ramsey County is settling a federal lawsuit for $75,000 with a man who alleged sheriff's deputies used excessive force against him when they mistook him as a crime suspect, pushed and handcuffed him in the parking lot of his Falcon Heights apartment building.

Michael Torrey-White filed the suit in the fall of 2022 against Ramsey County and four Ramsey County sheriff deputies. His attorney, Paul Bosman, confirmed the settlement, which was discussed in a closed Ramsey County Board session this month.

According to the complaint, Torrey-White, who was 67 and used a walker to get around, went outside to check on his daughter's truck in the parking lot of their apartment building in 2020. As he was leaving, a hand on his arm startled him. A deputy pushed him into a brick wall, where his head and back hit, causing him to lose consciousness. When Torrey-White came to, he was in handcuffs and screamed for his daughter, who took a picture of him on the ground. The officer searched him.

Bosman said Torrey-White was "grabbed and thrown to the ground" because he apparently fit the description of a younger suspect deputies were searching for in the area. "He was trying to inspect his daughter's car while navigating with a walker. The only real similarities between him and the suspect was that they're both Black and male," Bosman said, calling it an "outrage."

In court, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, representing the county and deputies, denied claims that Torrey-White's rights were violated and that he was entitled to relief, arguing the defendants were operating within the scope of their duties and in good faith. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and county officials did not respond to requests for comment early Monday.

Bosman said he was reasonably happy with the outcome. "My client is happy to go on and go back to his life," he said. Bosman acknowledged the settlement is small compared to other excessive force settlements. "The good news, in this case, was that Mr. Torrey-White did not suffer a lot of physical damage," he said, calling the amount commensurate with the damage. "It is not commensurate with the outrage involved. But there's no recovery for outrage."

Falcon Heights is in talks to replace the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office as its contracted law enforcement agency, after the sheriff's office asked the city to find another partner. Falcon Heights has contracted with the sheriff's office since 2018 after it cut ties with St. Anthony's Police Department in the wake of Philando Castile's death. City officials have said they hope to find a partner with a community policing model, and is in talks to renew its partnership with St. Anthony. If approved, the new partnership could begin in 2026.