Judge dismisses lawsuit of injured Dakota Access pipeline protester

By JACK DURA
Associated Press

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge in North Dakota has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman who was injured during a chaotic protest of the Dakota Access oil pipeline in 2016. Sophia Wilansky alleged that officers “attacked her with less-lethal and explosive munitions” and nearly severed her hand. She sought millions of dollars in damages in a 2018 lawsuit that led to years of legal wrangling. The officers denied firing any explosive devices at Wilansky. The judge dismissed her complaints last week, saying that her alleged facts don’t meet the legal standard for excessive use of force or for overturning the qualified immunity granted to law enforcement officers.