Des Moines detective seeks more than $250,000 in suit against former City Council member

A Des Moines Police detective is seeking more than a quarter-million dollars in damages over a brief scuffle with a racial justice activist who became a City Council member.

Detective Jeffrey George, with fellow officer Peter Wilson, filed suit in 2022 against Indira Sheumaker and five other people who were involved in an altercation outside the Iowa Capitol on July 1, 2020.

The fight, which was partially captured on video by a Des Moines Register reporter, occurred during widespread protests following the death of George Floyd and involved police and state troopers attempting to arrest several people, while other protestors tried to pull the suspects away from them.

George accused Sheumaker, who was elected to the City Council in 2021 and resigned in 2023 after a lengthy absence, and another defendant of placing him in chokeholds during the brawl. Sheumaker later pleaded guilty to assault on a police officer.

Since the lawsuit was filed, all claims against the other activists have been settled or dismissed, and Wilson dismissed his claims in September, leaving only George and Sheumaker in the case.

Sheumaker has not filed anything in the case since her counterclaims against the officers were dismissed more than 18 months ago, and her lawyer was permitted to withdraw earlier this year, citing a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship.

George seeks summary judgment, $250K+ in damages

Now George has asked the court to rule in his favor, find Sheumaker liable for assault and battery, and award him damages totaling $266,360.

That total includes $5,000 for pain and suffering, $25,000 in punitive damages, and $12,500, or $100 per week, for past emotional distress. Calculating his future life expectancy to be more than 43 years, George asks the court to continue that $100 per week calculation over the remainder of his life, for an additional $223,860.

In his motion, George says he experienced physical pain and soreness after the alleged assault and that four years later he "continues to experience anxiety in large crowds of people, significantly hindering his ability to perform his duties as a police officer and to enjoy large gatherings."

Although Sheumaker denied putting George in a chokehold in earlier court filings, he argues that her prior guilty plea provides indisputable evidence that she acted with the intent and ability to cause him harm, making summary judgment appropriate in his favor.

Sheumaker did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166 .

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines detective seeks more than $250,000 in suit against former City Council member