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| - FACT CHECK: Trump Campaign Post About Jaleel Stallings Is Missing Context
A post shared on X by the Trump War Room claims that Jaleel Stallings was charged with the attempted murder of two police officers.
Meet Jaleel Stallings.
In June 2020, Stallings was charged with the attempted murder of two police officers during the 2020 riots.@KamalaHarris raised money to bail Stallings out of jail.
Kamala Harris is radically liberal and dangerously incompetent. pic.twitter.com/elVbiILiUk
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) July 23, 2024
Verdict: Unsubstantiated
While Stallings was charged with attempted murder, he was acquitted by a jury trial. He later settled with Minneapolis for $1.5 million in a civil suit.
Fact Check:
The Trump campaign attacked Vice President Kamala Harris for promoting the Minneapolis Freedom Fund, a bail fund. In one post, the campaign’s war room claimed that Harris raised money to bail Stallings out of jail.
“Meet Jaleel Stallings. In June 2020, Stallings was charged with the attempted murder of two police officers during the 2020 riots.@KamalaHarris raised money to bail Stallings out of jail. Kamala Harris is radically liberal and dangerously incompetent,” the tweet reads.
This claim is missing important context. It is true that Stallings was initially charged with attempted murder after he shot at police officers, according to the Minnesota Reformer. It is also true that he was bailed out of jail with funds from the Minnesota Freedom Fund, per the outlet. Harris did promote the Minneapolis Freedom Fund, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Stallings did not have a criminal record. The post also fails to mention that Stallings was found not guilty after claiming self-defense, according to The Associated Press. Stallings had been struck in the chest by a less-than-lethal round, prompting him to fire back, but he did not recognize that he was firing at police, the outlet reported.
Reason reported:
“Stallings claimed he saw the unmarked white cargo van pull up with its lights off and the door slide open. He heard a pop and then felt the sharp pain of a rubber bullet hitting him in the chest. He said he assumed it was a drive-by and thought he’d been grazed by a bullet. Stallings returned fire at the van, shooting three rounds that did not hit anyone. When he realized he was shooting at police, he tossed his gun and surrendered. Body camera footage shown at Stallings’ trial showed officers kicking and punching Stallings as he tried to surrender, including after he was handcuffed.”
Stallings also settled with Minneapolis for $1.5 million in a civil suit, according to the Minnesota Reformer. The city did not admit any wrongdoing or guilt as part of the settlement, the outlet reported. (RELATED: No, Trump Did Not Say Bullet From Rally Shooting Took His ‘Entire Ear Off’)
The Trump campaign defended the tweet.
“Everything in the tweet is accurate. This individual was charged for shooting at police. He didn’t even dispute shooting at police and Kamala raised money for his bail. Kamala is dangerously liberal and weak on crime and voters deserve to know about her record,” Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign national press secretary, told Check Your Fact in an email.
One of the former officers, Justin Stetson, who arrested and assaulted him, was charged and pled guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges related to the assault, per the outlet. Stetson was ordered to serve 15 days at a county workhouse, two years of probation, pay a fine and he is barred from seeking employment as a police officer.
The Minnesota Freedom Fund has helped pay the bail of others who have gone on to commit crimes, according to the Washington Examiner. This includes George Howard, who had shot and killed a man three weeks after the fund paid for his bail, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
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