MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KARE) – A Minnesota attorney says that more than 150 Minneapolis police officers have begun or are expected to begin the process of filing disability claims, with most saying their suffering from PTSD.
Ron Meuser Jr. of the firm Meuser, Yackley, and Rowland said that the surge in disability claims has come in the last six weeks following the killing of George Floyd and ensuing nights of unrest.
He said many of the officers cited exhaustion from working long shifts, day after day, with no relief or support from city leadership.
He said many of the officers were inside the Third Precinct when it was burned by a mob of protesters, and they said they feared for their lives, sending goodbye texts to loved ones and even contemplating taking their own lives.
“A great deal of them were actually physically inside the Third Precinct the day that it was abandoned by the city of Minneapolis, its leadership, and its chief,” Meuser said. “Some of these individuals specifically wrote texts to their families during the course of the riots and indicated that they did not feel that were going to be able to come home because they did not feel that they would come out alive.”
Meuser called the number of claims “astronomical” and said it ultimately raises concerns about the city’s leadership.
“None of them wanted to leave this way,” Meuser said. “These men and women are brave, courageous, and have honorably served the city of Minneapolis for years and decades and got into this business not for money but to serve their community and to do good. For them to lose their identity, to leave the job that they love and they’ve cared for decades due to this is heartbreaking and I assure you no one intentionally makes that decision or takes it lightly.”
Meuser said of the 150 officers who have filed claims, 75 have already been processed and he expects the rest to be done within the next week to 10 days.
He said he also expects 99% of the officers who filed claims will not be returning to work.
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