The city of St. Paul has reached a $250,000 settlement with a man who accused police of excessive force.

The deal was reached last week, said attorney Paul Applebaum, who represented plaintiff Anthony Clark Jr. A trial had been scheduled to start Monday.

"He's pleased with the settlement and wants to move on with his life," said Applebaum, who represented Clark with co-counsel Andrew Irlbeck.

A confidentiality agreement prevented Applebaum from saying more.

According to the suit filed in federal court in 2010: Clark saw his fiancée being confronted by officers at the Station 4 bar downtown. He put his hand on her elbow to leave, and an officer pushed him. Another officer deployed a Taser at him but missed. Clark ran and hid in an alley.

Clark later revealed himself to police, and he was hit in the head with a flashlight and was beaten by a few officers with flashlights, the suit said. He also was sprayed with a chemical irritant.

The suit said that Clark needed more than 20 staples in his head and that skin peeled on his face.

A police report and charges filed against Clark after the incident said police were intervening in a squabble involving Clark's fiancée, another woman and a bartender. Clark pushed an officer and later lunged at them, documents said.

Clark was convicted of fleeing an officer and acquitted of obstructing legal process in the incident.

CHAO XIONG, CHRIS HAVENS