MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A police SWAT team leader who was convicted of assaulting a man while off-duty at a bar has been fired by Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau.
The termination took place on Feb. 21, 2013, but wasn’t made public until Wednesday.
An Anoka County District Court jury decided back on April 13 that Sgt. David Clifford was not acting in self-defense when he punched Brian Vander Lee, 44, on June 16, 2012, at Tanners Station in Andover. Jurors found Clifford, 48, guilty of first-, third- and fifth-degree assault.
Clifford joined the Minneapolis police department in 1993 and had received two Medals of Valor, a Lifesaving Award and other department accolades.
