ANDOVER, MINNESOTA -- It turned out to be a Father's Day unlike any other for Brian
Vander Lee, who was placed into critical condition and sent to the
hospital for internal cranial bleeding by a single punch to the face. Eye witnesses claim Vander Lee was punched while he was sitting in a chair, looking away from his attacker.
Sgt. David Clifford has been a member of law enforcement for over 19 years. He is an executive member of his department's S.W.A.T. team - and he is accused of assaulting Brian Vander Lee in a local bar. Over ten witnesses claim to have seen the altercation, and several are on the record identifying Sgt. Clifford as the person who threw the first and only punch.
As it happens Sgt. Clifford was at one time a part of an excessive force lawsuit stemming from an arrest in April 1995. The city later settled the lawsuit for $55,000 cash.
On the night in question, June 16th, at around 7pm at "Tanners Station" in Andover, Minnesota it is said that Brian Vander Lee was sitting outside on the patio talking loudly on his cell phone. This is when Sgt. Clifford approached the man and asked him to be quiet.
When Vander Lee did not, it is alleged that Sgt. Clifford as one witness described it threw a,"Superman punch." He went on to say that, "Brian went back, feet up in the air, and the guy landed on top of him and his head bounced off the concrete."
It was then that Sgt. Clifford, who is a nearly two decade police and military veteran fled the scene on foot!
Sgt. Clifford's lawyer has a different take. He claims that Clifford is being unfairly persecuted in the media, and that his client was only trying to "break up a fight." Yet the patrons of the bar are not buying it. Many claim that Vander Lee was a fun loving peaceful man who sold newspaper advertisements for a living. They say that Vander Lee was the one to break up a fight, never to start one.
It makes one wonder, however, if Sgt. Clifford was merely attempting to break up a fight and had to, in the process defend himself, why would he flee the scene in such a dramatic and desperate fashion?
Clifford then turned himself in the following day, at 1:30 to his fellow police officers nearly 18 hours after the incident. He was booked and charged with third degree assault. His first court appearance was Tuesday, where he posted bond and was released. His next court date in July 19th.
Brian Vander Lee remains hospitalized in stable but still possibly life threatening condition. When he arrived at the hospital his brain was bleeding, and the damage of that will not be fully known possibly for months. The Brian Vander Lee Foundation has been set up in his name to help subsidize the eventual cost of his injuries.
Sgt. David Clifford has been a member of law enforcement for over 19 years. He is an executive member of his department's S.W.A.T. team - and he is accused of assaulting Brian Vander Lee in a local bar. Over ten witnesses claim to have seen the altercation, and several are on the record identifying Sgt. Clifford as the person who threw the first and only punch.
As it happens Sgt. Clifford was at one time a part of an excessive force lawsuit stemming from an arrest in April 1995. The city later settled the lawsuit for $55,000 cash.
On the night in question, June 16th, at around 7pm at "Tanners Station" in Andover, Minnesota it is said that Brian Vander Lee was sitting outside on the patio talking loudly on his cell phone. This is when Sgt. Clifford approached the man and asked him to be quiet.
When Vander Lee did not, it is alleged that Sgt. Clifford as one witness described it threw a,"Superman punch." He went on to say that, "Brian went back, feet up in the air, and the guy landed on top of him and his head bounced off the concrete."
It was then that Sgt. Clifford, who is a nearly two decade police and military veteran fled the scene on foot!
Sgt. Clifford's lawyer has a different take. He claims that Clifford is being unfairly persecuted in the media, and that his client was only trying to "break up a fight." Yet the patrons of the bar are not buying it. Many claim that Vander Lee was a fun loving peaceful man who sold newspaper advertisements for a living. They say that Vander Lee was the one to break up a fight, never to start one.
It makes one wonder, however, if Sgt. Clifford was merely attempting to break up a fight and had to, in the process defend himself, why would he flee the scene in such a dramatic and desperate fashion?
Clifford then turned himself in the following day, at 1:30 to his fellow police officers nearly 18 hours after the incident. He was booked and charged with third degree assault. His first court appearance was Tuesday, where he posted bond and was released. His next court date in July 19th.
Brian Vander Lee remains hospitalized in stable but still possibly life threatening condition. When he arrived at the hospital his brain was bleeding, and the damage of that will not be fully known possibly for months. The Brian Vander Lee Foundation has been set up in his name to help subsidize the eventual cost of his injuries.
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