On November 20, 2016, during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, Deputy Sheriff Benjamin Swenson tackled protester Marcus Poemoceah from behind without prior warning or command to stop. Poemoceah, who was unarmed and attempting to negotiate the safe passage of elders from the protest site, suffered a nondisplaced pelvic fracture due to the tackle. He filed a lawsuit alleging excessive force and deliberate indifference to his medical needs. The court found that Poemoceah plausibly alleged a Fourth Amendment excessive force claim against Swenson.
[Return to blog post](https://watchaudits.com/deputy-sheriff-benjamin-swenson-morton-county-sheriffs-office/)
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