BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A federal magistrate judge has found that the U.S. government can’t be sued for the actions of a former Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer who was convicted in coercing a Montana woman into sex.
The Billings Gazette reported Friday that the findings issued last week were in response to the victim’s lawsuit that named the officer, the bureau and the federal government.
The magistrate judge found that bureau officer Dana Bullcoming acted outside the scope of his employment when he coerced the woman into sexual intercourse by threating to arrest her in 2015.
Bullcoming was sentenced in 2018 to three years in prison after pleading guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law.
A judge still needs to rule on the magistrate judge’s findings.
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Information from: The Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com
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