Judge dismisses lawsuit of injured Dakota Access pipeline protester

BISMARCK, N.D. — A federal judge in North Dakota has dismissed the excessive-force lawsuit of a New York woman who was injured in an explosion during the protests of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. In orders on Wednesday and Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor granted motions to dismiss the 2018 lawsuit by Sophia Wilansky, who alleged her left forearm was injured by an “explosive munition” fired at her by law enforcement officers during a clash between protesters and officers at a blocked highway bridge in November 2016. The judge ruled that “the facts as alleged” by Wilansky don’t meet legal standards for excessive force or for overcoming the officers’ qualified immunity, in part because they were reasonably trying to disperse protesters, not arrest them. The judge said Wilansky’s 2023 amended complaint “plainly shows the officers use of the munitions and grenades were set in place to disperse Wilansky from the area, not to stop her in her tracks. The judge also noted Wilansky’s “horrific injuries to her forearm” and her allegations that the officers laughed at her and congratulated one on his “marksmanship.” “While the Court appreciates the need for officer safety, it can be easy to devalue the human life officers are sworn to protect — in this instance, the protestors.