Al Flowers

Al Flowers

Al Flowers believes the cops are out to get him. The mayoral candidate filed a lawsuit in Hennepin County District Court Wednesday alleging that Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies violated his Constitutional rights while executing a search warrant at an Edina home last month.

Flowers was present during the raid and was ticketed for possessing a small amount of marijuana. But the Minneapolis resident insists that the pot wasn’t his and that officers set him up because he was advising people at the residence of their rights. Flowers also claims that the cops improperly seized his laptop computer and $240 in cash.

“It is unfortunate that this is a temptation for law enforcement, to steal cash from people at scenes like this one, assuming that they lack the know-how, clout or finances to be able to get it back,” the lawsuit states. “Or worse yet, believing that the courts will not believe a black person against the word of law enforcement — who will undoubtedly claim it was not taken.”

Flowers alleges that the citation is part of a pattern of harassment from public employees. In July his house was condemned by city inspectors, purportedly because the waters was shut off, an assertion that Flowers disputed at the time.

“From day one of this campaign, we told Minneapolis voters that ‘opponents of change’ would use every tactic under the sun to discredit our campaign and silence the many citizens who are demanding more from status quo politicians,” Flowers said in a press release regarding the pot bust. “This latest accusation was not only expected, but comes at a time when incumbents with no vision for the future typically launch ‘October Surprises.’”

Flowers is seeking the return of his property and more than $50,000 in damages. Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies Joe Poidinger, Matt Lunde and Erik Fleck are named as defendants in the case.

“There’s no allegation that he had marijuana on his person,” says Jill Clark, the attorney handling the case. “There’s no allegation it was in his pocket. It was found in a house that he had been in.”

Flowers has sued the city numerous times over the years, including a lawsuit against Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels filed earlier this year. In 2007 he won a $3 judgment against the city for violating his free speech rights.

Flowers is among 10 challengers looking to unseat Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. He is running as a Democrat, but does not have the party’s endorsement.