On Friday (May 21), a federal judge sentenced former St. Paul, Minnesota police officer to six years in prison after the officer allowed a police dog to maul a Black man suspected of a crime.
During the sentencing hearing, Brett Palkowitsch apologized for kicking Frank Baker and sicking the police dog on him in 2016 after Palkowitsch mistook Baker for a robbery suspect.
Palkowitsch reportedly offered a teary apology and told US District Judge Wilhelmina Wright that he would be willing to go before future officers to ensure “they know right from wrong, and how quick it can happen, and make sure it never happens again,” Minnesota Public Radio reported.
Baker suffered seven broken ribs and collapsed lungs following the attack. A federal jury found Palkowitsch guilty of excessive force against an unarmed civilian in 2019.
Baker told the outlet that while he forgave Palkowitsch, he didn’t accept his apology because of the lingering effects of the attack, including his difficulty breathing.
“We’ve got this COVID-19 going on, and my lungs are messed up, so it’s like I'm a prisoner in my own home,” Baker told the radio. “I can’t go out because I’m primed to catch anything because of my lungs.”
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