City of Robbinsdale To Pay Nearly $1.2 M in Police Shooting Settlement

The city of Robbinsdale will pay $1.2 million to settle a lawsuit that was filed after police shot a suicidal man five years ago.

Robbinsdale City Manager Tim Sandvik told the city council that the total value of the settlement is nearly $3.2 million.

The League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust will pay $2 million of that cost, leaving the city to pay the balance.

Council members unanimously approved the settlement on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

“The agreement allows the parties to avoid protracted litigation which may have taken several years to resolve,” Sandvik said. “The settlement does not assume fault by any of the named parties, and the city supports [the] actions of all officers on the scene as necessary and justified to protect public safety.”

Documents: Police Shoot Suicidal Man

According to court documents:

Adam Nelson, then a 29-year-old Robbinsdale resident, was suicidal on July 12, 2020.

He suffered from mental health issues and was upset after the suicide of a close friend, documents showed.

A friend of his relatives called 911 after Nelson pointed a gun at his own head.

Several police officers were dispatched to his France Avenue home, including Crystal Police Sgt. Geoffrey Kusick, who was providing backup as part of a mutual aid agreement between the two cities.

Kusick donned heavy body armor and removed his body-worn camera ahead of the incident, according to Nelson’s attorneys.

Seeing no criminal activity and the other occupants of the home did not feel in danger, officers considered leaving the scene.

However, Nelson eventually exited his home with a gun pointed at his head.

He began walking toward the officers while continuing to point the gun at himself.

After Nelson ignored commands to stop, Kusick fired his Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine gun, striking Nelson nine times with 9mm hollow-points.

 Nelson survived the shooting, but had serious and ongoing medical issues.

In court documents filed in May of this year, he requested $20 million in damages.

Crystal | Robbinsdale