A lawsuit stemming from allegations of excessive force used by local officers at a Dakota Access Pipeline protest has been dismissed. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor dismissed the case on December 29, 2021, after finding that the police acted reasonably during a lengthy standoff with protesters near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation on November 20, 2016.
Protesters alleged that officers from the Mandan Police Department and nearby Stutsman and Morton Counties fired rubber bullets, tear gas, explosives and water cannons into the crowd causing injuries to more than 200 people.
Attorneys representing the law enforcement agencies said outnumbered officers were worried for their safety and had to use force to disperse the trespassing protesters.
In his ruling, Judge Traynor said police conduct was reasonable in the face of an “unprecedented” protest.