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Cop out: Just two Hmong officers assigned to North Minneapolis

By Paul Demko | 10.01.09 | 9:21 am

There are currently just two Hmong police officers assigned to Minneapolis’ 4th Precinct, both of whom work overnight shifts. North Side residents want at least one Hmong-speaking cop on the day shift to help foster better communications with the Minneapolis Police Department. But achieving that may be harder than it would seem.

No exit: Rosemary Williams remains in home three weeks after eviction

By Paul Demko | 08.25.09 | 3:20 pm

Rosemary Williams is, technically, a squatter. On August 7, Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies showed up to evict her from a residence in the 3100 block of Clinton Avenue South. But within 10 minutes, by Williams’ own account, she was back in the home that she’s lived in for nearly three decades.

FBI tapped for MPD beating inquiry

By Paul Demko | 08.17.09 | 11:30 am

mpd-patchMinneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan is calling on the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look into the February arrest of Derryl Jenkins. The 42-year-old Brooklyn Center resident was pulled over in North Minneapolis for speeding. After Jenkins defied orders…

Pride harassment video prompts debate over racism, anti-gay bias

By Andy Birkey | 07.07.09 | 11:52 am

gayprideharassA video of Somali youth harassing a gay man captured last week at the Twin Cities Pride Festival has garnered a lot of attention, spurred debate and spawned numerous press…

The story of a gun: Jury weighs Fong Lee case

By Paul Demko | 05.27.09 | 3:26 pm

Fong Lee was shot eight times by Minneapolis police officer Jason Andersen three years ago. The cops say Lee was armed and dangerous on the night in question. Lee’s family insists that he was an unarmed, innocent victim. Now a jury will decide which narrative rings true.

Fong Lee case will head to jury

By Paul Demko | 05.26.09 | 5:39 pm

Did Fong Lee have a gun on July 22, 2006, when he was shot eight times by Minneapolis police officer Jason Andersen? That’s the crucial question that jurors should begin deliberating Wednesday.

Judge threatens mistrial in Fong Lee case

By Paul Demko | 05.20.09 | 1:25 pm

Day two of the Fong Lee trial apparently started off exactly where it left off — with U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson extremely pissed off. This morning he threatened to declare a mistrial in the civil case  and force…

MPD on Fong Lee shooting: ‘No officer ever planted evidence in this case’

By Paul Demko | 04.06.09 | 10:43 am

Damning details relating to the 2006 shooting of Fong Lee by a Minneapolis police officer came to light last week. The capstone was David Hanners’ terrific Sunday piece profiling Lee, officer Jason Anderson and the handgun at the center…

RNC Day One Diary: All roads lead to Kellogg Boulevard

By Jeff Severns Guntzel | 09.01.08 | 11:30 pm

Though thousands marched through the streets of St. Paul today without incident, it was difficult to ignore a roving group of protesters who were sometimes marching and sometimes dashing their way through a parade route they reinvented by the minute. Minnesota Independent’s Jeff Severns Guntzel followed them to the day’s chemical-soaked climax.

What happens to guns seized by Minneapolis police?

By Anna Pratt | 06.05.08 | 6:00 am

Thousands of guns seized by New York City cops are destroyed and recycled as pipes, fences or appliances, among other purposes, reports the New York Times. It turns out that guns taken into…