About 1,250 people submitted ethics complaints against Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for how he handled the situation dealing with the police killing of Amir Locke on Feb. 2.

On Feb. 11, dozens of Minneapolis residents concerned with public safety gathered at Minneapolis City Hall to file ethics complaints against the mayor and mourn Locke’s death. Complaint numbers grew to over 1,500 by Feb. 15, according to Elianna Lippold-Johnson, spokesperson for the Residents Complaint.

The ethics complaints could result in sanctions against the mayor from City Council, or the mayor receiving additional education and coaching sessions if the ethics board finds there is enough evidence to move forward with an ethics review.

Lippold-Johnson, one of the residents filing a complaint, said she and others were upset because the mayor campaigned on improving public safety, which she says they believe has not been done.

“We are hoping for a full ethics investigation,” Lippold-Johnson said. “We feel like we deserve better as residents of Minneapolis. It does not feel like things have gotten better.”

The complaints allege that the mayor violated the Minneapolis ethics code by using funds unlawfully and failing to exercise judgment to further the best interests of the city. The complaints also focused on how Frey and Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman misrepresented Locke as a suspect and how Frey said he banned no-knock warrants when he did not, although these do not go against the Minneapolis ethics code.

The complaints read that the mayor unlawfully used funds by paying the SWAT team to enter the apartment where Officer Mark Hanneman shot and killed Locke and for keeping Hanneman on the city’s payroll after Locke’s death.

Hanneman is on administrative leave while the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Hennepin County attorney finish their investigation.

The second part of the complaints alleges that the mayor failed to exercise judgment that would further the best interests of the city. Lippold-Johnson said by recommending the no-knock warrant that resulted in Locke’s death, the lives of the officers and people in the apartment were put in jeopardy.

In an email statement to the Minnesota Daily, the Office of the Mayor referred to the ethics complaint as “baseless.”

“Just as past politically motivated complaints were dismissed without merit during the last election, these baseless allegations will be recognized as such. Mayor Frey is focused on partnering with community to enact policy reforms and bring stronger oversight to the department’s release of public information,” read the statement.

What the ethics complaints could result in
The Minneapolis ethics board will review the complaints made against the mayor. If the board determines there is sufficient information for the complaint to proceed, a preliminary evaluation and recommendation will be made.

If the board determines there is probable cause for the complaint, a hearing could be set or other recommendations could be made. The mayor could receive coaching sessions, additional education or agreements to change certain practices, according to Casper Hill, the media relations coordinator for the city of Minneapolis in an email to the Minnesota Daily.

If the board decides a hearing is necessary, witnesses and evidence will be brought forward and the board will decide if the evidence is substantial to proceed. If they decide there is enough proof, ethics board members will present their findings to the City Council and the council will decide whether to issue sanctions against the mayor. The ethics board cannot issue sanctions against elected officials.

Ward 2 City Councilor Robin Wonsley Worlobah said she was glad citizens were using their civic rights to hold city officials accountable.

“Unfortunately, [the mayor’s] lack of honesty about policy measures and also his inability to provide a set oversight over MPD has led to another tragedy of Amir being killed during a no knock warrant,” Wonsley Worlobah said. “Elected officials, including our mayor, should be held to account for when they fail to be honest about the policy decisions they’re making.”

The three former Minneapolis Police officers were convicted in federal court Thursday of depriving George Floyd of his constitutional rights. The jury found the officers guilty of all counts. 

Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao were convicted of depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights while acting under the color of law. Color of law means the officers were government actors at the time the crime was committed. 

Kueng and Thao were found guilty of failing to intervene and stop Derek Chauvin from using unreasonable force. 

Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder in April 2021, after kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes in May 2020. Chauvin pleaded guilty to federal charges in December and was convicted in the state trial for Floyd’s murder in April. Chauvin will be sentenced at a later date, but according to the plea agreement, he will face 20-25 years. 

The jury unanimously found that the officers failed to intervene and denied Floyd of his constitutional rights, which resulted in Floyd’s death. 

All three officers took the stand during the trial and the defense argued that they did not receive adequate training from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). The prosecution argued that the officers “chose to do nothing” while Floyd was murdered and presented body camera footage at trial that had not been previously shown. 

The jury began deliberating Wednesday morning and came to a guilty verdict for the three former officers on Thursday afternoon. 

Lane, Kueng and Thao will face sentencing under federal guidelines. The officers face up to a life sentence, but will likely receive a lesser sentence. 

The three former officers will face state trial in June for aiding and abetting Chauvin in Floyd’s murder.

The federal trial against the three officers involved in George Floyd’s murder continues, bringing forth new video footage and possible testimony from one of the officers involved.

The United States federal government charged Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao with violating Floyd’s civil rights and depriving Floyd of his liberty without due process of law.

Opening statements started on Jan. 24 and the trial is ongoing. Prosecution is expected to rest their case on Feb. 14, after which defense will present evidence.

The trial is not being livestreamed like Derek Chauvin’s state murder trial due to differences in federal and state court rules. A small pool of reporters, including a sketch artist, are allowed access into the courtroom. There is also an overflow room where reporters can watch.

The federal trial is bringing forth evidence that wasn’t seen during Chauvin’s murder trial, such as footage from the day Floyd was murdered. If you have not been paying close attention to the trial, here’s an update.

Prosecution shows new body cam recording

On Feb. 10, new footage from Lane’s body camera showed that Kueng and Lane misrepresented the interaction between Floyd and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers to their superior, Lt. Richard Zimmerman. In the video, Lane and Kueng are heard telling Zimmerman that Floyd was breathing when paramedics arrived on scene, although Kueng was unable to find a pulse. They also did not tell Zimmerman that Chauvin had been kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.

During Zimmerman’s testimony, he said the officers led him to believe Floyd died of an overdose. In the body cam footage, the word overdose was not used but Lane said he thought Floyd was “on something” and the officers found a pipe on him.

Zimmerman said he was not aware of the amount of force Chauvin used until he watched Darnella Frazier’s video of Floyd’s murder until the next day. Zimmerman testified the cell phone video did not match the account Kueng and Lane told him.

During opening statements, Lane’s attorney said he would stand and testify during the trial, but since then, said he will think about it before deciding. Thao and Kueng said they would testify. Defendants don’t usually take the stand because it can be risky, said Professor Myron Orfield, a University of Minnesota law professor.

“He must believe that he has some exculpatory evidence that will make him look less guilty,” Orfield said. “It suggests that something in his behavior or something in his presentation will affect the jury’s belief in his guilt.”

The trial will enter its fourth week on Feb. 14, following the timeline that Judge Paul Magnuson told jurors. The trial was put on pause on Feb. 2 because one of the defendants tested positive for COVID-19 and resumed on Feb. 7.

During opening statements, the prosecuting attorney, Samantha Trepel, said the officers ignored clear signs of serious discomfort in Floyd and neglected their training.

Thomas Plunkett, Kueng’s attorney, said MPD did not provide adequate training for Kueng and that he was working his third shift as a police officer when Floyd was murdered during the defense’s opening statement.

After defense argues, the court will move into closing arguments. After that the jury will go into deliberation. If convicted, the officers could face a range of sentences, up to life in prison.

Jae Yates from Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar said it was validating to see the officers charged not just at the state level, but also at the federal level.

“I think even just from a symbolic standpoint, I think that it’s a pretty big deal to charge officers federally,” Yates said. “On the practical side I think that it materially reduces the amount of people that get murdered because cops are afraid that they’re going to potentially face federal prosecution and not just criminal prosecution.”

This story has been updated to reflect new information.

Minneapolis police officer Mark Hanneman shot and killed Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, on Feb. 2 at a downtown Minneapolis apartment, which has launched an investigation into his death and reignited a push to ban no-knock warrants.

Locke’s death prompted protests in Minneapolis over the weekend, with activists calling for the city to fire and criminally charge Hanneman, fire MPD Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman and for Mayor Jacob Frey to resign. Activists also said they want no-knock warrants to be banned.

Around 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning, police entered the Bolero Flats apartment building with a no-knock warrant from the St. Paul Police Department Homicide Unit. Both a standard warrant and a no-knock warrant were obtained.

The body camera footage shows that Hanneman shot Locke within nine seconds of entering the apartment. Locke was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center where he died due to gunshot wounds.

Huffman said at a Feb. 3 press conference that Locke was not named in the search warrant.

Jill Oliveira, the Public Information Officer for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), said in an email to the Minnesota Daily that the BCA is conducting an independent investigation into the incident.

“When the investigation is complete, the BCA will provide its findings to the Attorney General’s office without recommendation for review,” Oliviera said.

The Attorney General’s office will decide what to do with information from the investigation. Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement he will be working with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to conduct a review of the BCA investigation and determine if they are going to bring charges against the officers involved in the shooting.

In response to Locke’s shooting, Mayor Frey announced he was imposing an immediate moratorium on both the request and execution of no-knock warrants on Feb. 4. The city will be working with two experts to review and revise MPD’s policy. These experts helped put together “Breonna’s Law,” a Louisville, Ky. law that limits no-knock warrants put in place after the police killing of Breonna Taylor.

Minneapolis protesters take to the streets again

In the weekend following Locke’s death, there were several protests. Protesters held car caravans over the weekend and led a march downtown on Saturday.

Trahern Crews, a leader from Black Lives Matter Minnesota, said he was angry when he learned about Locke’s death and the no-knock warrant.

“He did what he was supposed to do, he had a legal right to carry,” Crews said. “He was sleeping on the couch and the Minneapolis Police Department executed him.”

Crews added that he was hoping to see police accountability and reform going forward.

“With this instance, we want to see that officer charged and sent to prison and anybody else responsible for [his death],” Crews said. “The general public is just fed up with seeing innocent Black men murdered by the police … There’s no excuse why the George Floyd Act hasn’t passed. There’s no excuse why the Breonna Taylor Act hasn’t passed.”

Opening statements for the federal trial of the three former Minneapolis police officers for violating George Floyd’s civil rights begins Monday.

Four former officers, Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, are charged with violating Floyd’s constitutional rights under color of law. Color of law means the officers were acting as government officials when Chauvin murdered Floyd. The court alleges that the four officers deprived Floyd of his liberty without due process.

Chauvin, who was convicted for the murder of George Floyd last spring in the state court, pleaded guilty to the federal charges on Dec. 15.

Jury selection for the federal trial for the three other officers happened Jan. 20 and opening statements are set to begin on Jan. 24. The former officers are being tried in St. Paul at the Warren E. Berger courthouse.

Since the officers were government actors, they can be charged with civil rights violations, said Abigail Cerra, chair of the Minneapolis Police Conduct Oversight Commission. If they were acting as citizens at the time of Floyd’s murder, the United States would not have the ability to charge the former officers federally.

“In this case, the … federal offense is that these officers are accused of violating George Floyd’s federal rights and civil rights provided under federal law, and that they were acting under the color of law,” Cerra said. “They were government actors when they did it.”

Kueng and Thao are charged with failing to intervene and stop Chauvin from an unreasonable use of force. The complaint alleges that Kueng and Thao were aware Chauvin was holding his knee across Floyd’s neck while the officer pinned a “handcuffed and unresisting” Floyd to the ground, resulting in his death.

The United States also charged Kueng and Thao with denying Floyd of his Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable seizure. David Schultz, a professor of law at the University of Minnesota, said the two officers aided and abetted Chauvin in the civil rights violation by not intervening.

“The Supreme Court has said when government agents use excessive deadly force, it’s evaluated under the Fourth Amendment as a form of illegal search and seizure,” Schultz said. “If I’m a police officer and I shoot and kill you when I’m not supposed to do so, that’s a Fourth Amendment violation because I seized your life.”

Chauvin was separately charged in the federal court with violating Floyd’s Fourth Amendment right according to the complaint, but already pleaded guilty to this charge.

The state of Minnesota charged the three officers with unintentionally aiding and abetting Chauvin in the murder of Floyd. That trial is supposed to begin in June. Schultz said it is similar to aiding and abetting in the Federal case because their failure to intervene indirectly resulted in Floyd’s death.

If found guilty of the federal charges, the officers will be sentenced under federal sentencing guidelines and could potentially face life in prison. Schultz said if they are found guilty on federal charges, it wouldn’t prove that they are guilty on the state charges.

“Assuming they get a federal conviction, they’ll be sentenced. They still face a state trial conviction under federal law,” Schultz said. “Just because they violated his civil rights, assuming they were convicted, doesn’t mean they’re guilty of Minnesota criminal law.”

If the officers are found guilty of the federal and state criminal charges, they will serve their sentences concurrently, meaning they would serve their sentences in federal prison, Cerra said.

Toshira Garraway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, said she wants to see accountability happen with police officers and government trials. In 2009, Garraway’s fiance, Justin Teigen, was found dead in a recycling center after an interaction with St. Paul police officers. Garraway said she believes the police are responsible for his death.

Garraway said it has been difficult for her and her family to watch the news and trial proceedings after killings of Black men by police.

“I hope to see but the rules change and the laws change that have allowed this stuff to happen to the community,” Garraway said.

Due to the rise of COVID-19 cases statewide, the Jan. 10 inauguration of the Minneapolis City Council, Board of Estimates and Taxation members, and the mayor took place under several COVID-19 preventative measures.

The preventative measures and remote setting relieved some city council members, including those representing the University area, given the current COVID-19 situation in Minneapolis, said Council Member Elliott Payne.

The inauguration was held at the Minneapolis Convention Center and was closed to the public, which is different from previous years where inauguration ceremonies were considered public events, according to the City of Minneapolis.

After the inauguration, the city council held their first meeting remotely with city councilors streaming in from where they felt comfortable. It was supposed to be in-person, but on Jan. 7 the councilors decided to make it remote due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. The event was live-streamed on the city YouTube page.

This event was the first full council and mayoral inauguration held under COVID-19 safety protocols. The city required everyone in attendance to wear masks and bring proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event.

Seven new council members took the oath of office: Payne from Ward 1, Robin Wonsley Worlobah from Ward 2, and Michael Rainville from Ward 3, all councilors who represent the University area.

In attendance were various city officials, including all 13 council members, Mayor Jacob Frey, and members of the Board of Estimates and Taxation. Along with that, everyone being inaugurated was permitted to bring 10 guests each.

Wonsley Worlobah said she was thankful for the COVID-19 protections that were put in place for the event.

“All of our guests and city council members could go [on Jan. 7] to get free COVID testing to make sure that everyone is COVID negative in that space,” Wonsley-Worlobah said. “All of the guests with their associated council member, they’re all seated together and socially distanced amongst one another in that space.”

The event featured speakers and an inaugural address from Frey. At the meeting, the council president and vice president were, elected and council members were selected to be on committees.

Council Member Payne, one of the newly elected council members in 2021, ran for Vice President of the City Council but lost to Linea Palmisano. He said holding the meeting remotely was the safest decision with the rise of COVID-19 cases.

“I think it was the right call to shift the first meeting to virtual just so that we can continue to be accessible and transparent about the process without excluding people,” Payne said. “Virtual actually can be more accessible for a lot of people who can’t otherwise get downtown for some of these meetings.”

Payne said he would be open to continuing meetings online, and council member Rainville said he expected council meetings to continue to be held remotely while COVID-19 cases are rising.

“We’re the most advanced city and [we are] using technology to have transparency in our meetings and access to our meetings,” Rainville said. “The optimist in me says that we will get back to face-to-face meetings and in the meantime, we have the technology and expertise to conduct the business of people.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey created a workgroup that will make recommendations for economic recovery, with plans to present its findings in early 2022.

The workgroup will have five meetings over the next three months to develop advice on economic recovery, development, the workforce and housing. Depending on group reports, the mayor may create new programs, policies or change the budget.

The group is made up of 26 people who are Minneapolis business owners, board members and prominent Minneapolis residents, such as P.J. Hill, the second vice president of the NAACP.

The economic recovery workgroup is one of three groups that will advise Frey on issues such as public safety and government structure.

The group hosted an introductory meeting Dec. 7, where they covered what has happened in the city’s economy since the pandemic began.

The focus of the group is to provide growth and opportunity for Minneapolis residents, said Adam Duininck, the co-chair of the group and director of government affairs for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters.

“We want to be in a place where employers are attracted to build great jobs,” Duinick said. “We want to be in a place where people want to live and work and find jobs on the worker side.”

Duininck said the workgroup will be looking at safely reopening businesses in downtown Minneapolis. The pandemic affected multiple job markets, causing many people in fields such as hospitality, retail and restaurants to lose their jobs.

Antonio Cardona, vice president of career readiness at the Project for Pride in Living, said he wants to use his experience to help people who lost their jobs during the pandemic.

“Those are jobs that have high concentrations of people of color, and those are not the jobs that are coming back,” Cardona said. “[We’re looking at] how do we match people with whatever the new jobs are, and understand what the skills are that they are prepared with.”

The group will be looking to create jobs in the Minneapolis market while adopting an inclusive economic recovery plan in neighborhoods most affected by the pandemic.

Anisha Murphy, a member of the Community Now Coalition and the economic recovery workgroup, said her goal is to create tangible initiatives and to ensure the work of the group moves forward after they are done meeting.

“My biggest thing is advocating for the voices of the marginalized and making sure that their voices are heard as these economic inclusive policies, programs, get passed,” Murphy said. “Black and brown folks, Indigenous folks, our inclusion doesn’t look the same as our white counterparts. It has never looked the same.”

Andrea Brennan, director of the Department of Community Planning and Economic Development for Minneapolis, said rebuilding was an important part of inclusive economic recovery.

“We think about not rebuilding where we were before, but rebuilding in a way that is strategic and leads to transformative change in reducing the racial disparities that exist in our city,” Brennan said.

In the midst of the Chauvin trial in April, former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter shot and killed 20-year-old Black man Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. As her trial begins, here is what she is charged with.

Potter is charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter and she pleaded not guilty to both charges. First-degree manslaughter is a misdemeanor charge of reckless handling of a firearm that could cause death or bodily harm to another individual. This means Potter handled her firearm in a way that endangered the safety of Wright and caused his death.

Potter fatally shot Wright during a traffic stop on Apr. 11, 2021 after she shouted, “Taser, Taser.” Potter resigned two days later and was charged with second-degree manslaughter, and a first-degree manslaughter charge was added in September.

The trial started Nov. 30 at the Hennepin County Government Center, where officials closed the skyways and tunnel surrounding the building for security. Unlike the Chauvin trial, there are currently no fences or officers surrounding the building.

The typical sentence for first-degree manslaughter for someone with no previous criminal history is between 6 and 8.5 years, but the prosecution is seeking an upward departure that would give her the full sentence of 15 years.

Second-degree manslaughter indicates that the person created an unreasonable risk and consciously risked death or bodily harm to another individual. It requires proof of culpable negligence, which means that a person acted recklessly, without caution and put another person at risk of injury or death. The prosecution is expected to argue that Potter created an unreasonable risk by grabbing her gun instead of her Taser.

The typical sentence for second-degree manslaughter is between 3.5 and 5 years. Neither of the charges against Potter require evidence that she intentionally killed Wright.

Jury selection began on Nov. 30 and 12 jurors have been selected. Two more will need to be selected before the trial can begin.

Potter was a police officer in Brooklyn Center for 26 years and completed two Taser-specific training courses in the six months leading up to Wright’s death. The prosecution will argue Potter had extensive training and experience, and therefore should have known the difference between her gun and Taser.

Potter’s defense is expected to argue that the death of Daunte Wright was an accident or mistake, she had a lack of causation and her perceived use of a Taser was reasonable.

Mary Moriarty, former chief public defender for Hennepin County, said she thought Potter’s actions were a mistake and it was grievous.

“There are a lot of people that make mistakes. Is it a mistake to get in a car when you’ve been drinking and driving? Yes. If you cause an accident and you kill somebody, does that make it a crime? Yes,” Moriarty said. “Even though it was still a mistake, your behavior endangered and ultimately led to the end of somebody’s life. So it’s not different for police officers.”

Sarah Davis, executive director of the Legal Rights Center, said this incident could lead police departments to change their policies for traffic stops. In response to Wright’s killing, the Brooklyn Center Police Department started requiring citations for misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors and then officers must release the suspect unless they are a threat or the offense includes a gun.

“I think what we’ve seen over and over again, is that it’s Black and brown people who are stopped by police for these really minor traffic offense allegations,” Davis said. “Hopefully what you’ll start to see is that there will be a shift away from approaching traffic stops in a way that could potentially lead to this type of violence.”

City Council declared Robin Wonsley Worlobah as the official Ward 2 Council member after a close recount Dec. 1. 

Challenger Yusra Arab requested the recount after losing to Wonsley Worlobah by 19 votes on Nov. 2.  

Minneapolis Election & Voter Services announced on Twitter Nov. 22 that the recount was completed, and Wonsley Worlobah had 4,046 votes while Arab had 4,032 votes. The margin narrowed further, with Wonsley Worlobah leading by merely 14 votes. 

Arab challenged the results of 12 ballots and Wonsley Worlobah challenged 10 ballots. The challenged ballots were presented to the City Council, which acted as the municipal canvassing board, for a review and certification of the race Dec. 1. 

After the Canvassing Board reviewed the challenged ballots, Wonsley Worlobah was certified as the official winner by a margin of 13 ballots.

Minneapolis added an overnight shift for traffic control officers starting Oct. 4 to free up resources and time for Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers to respond to priority calls.

Minneapolis traffic officers currently respond to parking violations, abandoned vehicles and parking complaints during daytime hours on Mondays to Fridays. By adding a night shift, city officials hope that police officers will have more time to respond to higher priority calls instead of spending time on parking violations.

“A parking problem is a very low priority,” MPD Officer Garrett Parten said. “When [traffic control officers] are not working, those parking calls get sent to our Minneapolis dispatch and the squad has to go out. If it’s an issue that requires a tow, then the officer has to sit there and typically wait for a tow truck and clear the problem out.”

Under the new pilot program, traffic control officers can issue citations for parking violations but will not be able to give traffic citations such as speeding tickets. They field calls from 911 dispatch and the non-emergency dispatch line to respond to parking violations.

Three agents and one field supervisor respond to calls during the night shifts. The data from the pilot program will be used to determine if more officers should be added during the shift and if the shift should be full time. The program does not have a set end date because they are receiving ongoing funding.

Minneapolis officials implemented the pilot program because of the citywide crime increase, so that more MPD officers can respond to violent crimes. Violent crime in Minneapolis has increased by 33% during the past two years. Within the past year, crime rose by nearly 60% in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood.

Kent Kramp, the vice president of the Dinkytown Business Alliance, said he wanted the city to implement more safety measures in Marcy-Holmes.

“We saw an increase in police presence during the beginning of the school year between the University of Minnesota Police Department and the county sheriffs, and it really changed the feel of the neighborhood,” Kramp said. “It felt safer almost instantly.”

Abdirizak Bihi is a community leader in Cedar-Riverside and ran for the Ward 6 council member position in the 2021 election. Bihi advocated for shifting some responsibilities away from the police, such as mental health calls, so that officers could focus on responding to violent crimes.

“We’re hoping to see police deal with violent crimes and investigations and have the resources and the time for that,” Bihi said.

Ahmed Adow, director of traffic control in Minneapolis, said the program has only been around for a month, so they do not have enough data to determine the success.

“We still need more time to at least collect more data to actually pinpoint whether it’s really needed,” Adow said. “Based on the data that we will be collecting from this pilot program, we should be able to determine whether there’s a need to have a full, permanent overnight shift for traffic control.”

Adow said the current officers working the pilot program are officers that worked for the department already.

“The overnight shift was really a win-win situation operation-wise because we had existing officers who actually know the city and who also know the procedure of handling complaints,” Adow said.