Minnesota Cop Block

Former Falcon Heights Police officer Jeronimo Yanez- who murdered Philando Castile - is now teaching Spanish part-time at a parochial school.

An appeals court ruled Monday that a Minnesota board was justified when it rejected his substitute teaching license.

The findings of the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, which concluded Jeronimo Yanez did not meet the moral standards required to teach in public schools.

Experts who testified included Joseph Gothard, superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools, who asserted Yanez’s prejudgments of Castile indicated bias and microaggressions that would be detrimental to students, especially students of color.

“Dr. Gothard questioned Yanez’s ability to meet the ethical demands for a diverse student population and opined that Yanez’s presence as a teacher in a Minnesota classroom poses a risk of retraumatizing students, staff and families,” the appeals court noted.

Minnesota court affirms rejection of teaching license for ex-officer who shot Philando Castile An appeals court says a Minnesota board was justified when it rejected a substitute teaching license a former police officer who fatally shot a Black man during a traffic stop in 2016. The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed a licensing board that concluded Jeronimo Yanez didn’t meet the...

Two-year-long Department of Justice investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department found a pattern of “excessive force, including unjustified deadly force, discriminating against black people and mistreating mentally ill individuals, and racial discrimination and civil rights violations", all of which created the conditions that led to George Floyd’s murder, according to a report released Friday.
see report: https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000188-c4f5-dbda-a38b-c5fdbd140000
See article: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/16/minneapolis-police-george-floyd-doj-report-00102425Atwo-year-long

If you're a Minnesotan that has a cannabis or other low-level infraction on your record that is hindering you from securing employment, housing, or other prospects, then check out this free expungement workshop presented by The Great Rise in both Minneapolis and St. Paul on April 19.

4/19 12:30 – 8:00 | RISE UP Expungement Support Workshops The Great Rise is hosting expungement support workshops in Minneapolis and St. Paul on Wednesday, April 19th. There will be legal professionals on site to provide information about expungement and get the process started for those who qualify.

https://apnews.com/article/police-san-francisco-government-and-politics-d26121d7f7afb070102932e6a0754aa5

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Supervisors in San Francisco voted Tuesday to give city police the ability to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency situations -- following an emotionally charged debate that reflected divisions on the politically liberal board over support for law enforcement.

The vote was 8-3, with the majority agreeing to grant police the option despite strong objections from civil liberties and other police oversight groups. Opponents said the authority would lead to the further militarization of a police force already too aggressive with poor and minority communities.

San Francisco will allow police to deploy robots that kill SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Supervisors in San Francisco voted Tuesday to give city police the ability to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency situations -- following an emotionally charged debate that reflected divisions on the politically liberal board over support for law enfo...

(AP) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Monday that a state board must reconsider its rejection of a substitute teaching license for the former police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile in 2016.

Jeronimo Yanez applied to be a substitute teacher in 2020, but his application was denied based on “immoral character or conduct.” The appeals court ruled that this reason was unconstitutionally vague and the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must reconsider — focusing narrowly on whether Yanez’s conduct makes him unfit to teach.

The appeals court said that upon reconsideration, the board must identify factors it is using to determine whether Yanez’s conduct “violated moral standards for the teaching profession.” The board must also avoid characterizing policing practices — such as a pretextual reason for a traffic stop — as immoral.

Court: Cop who shot Castile wrongly denied teaching license The Minnesota Court of Appeals says a state board must reconsider its rejection of a substitute teaching license for the former police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile in 2016. Jeronimo Yanez applied to be a substitute teacher in 2020, but his application was denied based on “immoral c...

Law Enforcement Is the Fattest Profession, Study Finds

Law Enforcement Is the Fattest Profession, Study Finds Along with firefighters and security guards

A nonprofit founded in memory of Philando Castile has donated $50,000 to settle debt families still owe to the school lunch program of the Osseo Area Schools District and Brooklyn Community Schools in suburban Minneapolis. Each will receive $25,000.

“I am still trying to wrap my head around why we still have lunch debt,” Valerie Castile, Philando’s mother, said in a video posted on her page shortly after donating the money.

She founded the Philando Castile Relief Foundation (PCRF) after a police officer shot and killed her son in 2016, during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Before the officer killed him in the presence of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter, Philando Castile worked in the Nutrition Services Department for the St. Paul Public School District, and was the nutrition supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School, where he often used his own money to buy lunch for children who couldn’t afford.

Philando Castile Relief Foundation donates $50,000 to clear school lunch debt Home News Philando Castile Relief Foundation donates $50,000 to clear school lunch debt News Philando Castile Relief Foundation donates $50,000 to clear school lunch debt By Panashe Matemba-Mutasa - November 8, 2021 328 0 Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp The Philando Castile Relief Foundati...

Poor guy was tased 15 times while not fleeing, not resisting, and lying face-down naked on the pavement. This was a sadistic torture and the only thing these cops regret is that he died and they got caught. They were smiling and enjoying this entire thing.

Stroud resigned from the department Oct. 16, 2019, and Bowlden and Lewis resigned this year on Aug. 5, Hampton City Manager Alex Cohilas said. The status of the county officers was not clear. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in May that they were still employed as police.

And two of them are still working as cops. And the county settled for 3$ mil tax payer dollars

5 Georgia officers indicted on murder charges in festivalgoer's death Five Georgia officers have been indicted on murder charges in the asphyxiation death of a festivalgoer near Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2019, prosecutors said.

Some Minnesota High schools had a walk out last week protesting sexual harassment.
Zero issues.
Little Elm Texas High School had a walk out for the same cause and the teachers called the police on the students. Police tasered and arrested the students.

Michael Mc on Twitter “Little Elm, TX has some problems https://t.co/v9w9EH7opM”

This was one of the most egregious cases of police brutality ever seen. Some people need to go to jail for this one. Taking away badges alone isn't nearly enough.
His last words according to bodycams...
"I can't breathe. I have my ID right here. My name is Elijah McClain. That's my house. I was just going home. I'm an introvert. I'm just different. That's all. I'm so sorry. I have no gun. I don't do that stuff. I don't do any fighting. Why are you attacking me? I don't even kill flies! I don't eat meat! But I don't judge people, I don't judge people who do eat meat. Forgive me. All I was trying to do was become better. I will do it. I will do anything. Sacrifice my identity, I'll do it. You all are phenomenal. You are beautiful and I love you. Try to forgive me. I'm a mood Gemini. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Ow, that really hurt! You are all very strong. Teamwork makes the dream work. Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to do that. I just can't breathe correctly."

City of Aurora will pay $15 million settlement over death of Elijah McClain CBS Denver Exclusive: The sum is one of the largest police-related settlements ever.

Details: Brandon Dingman and Joshua Taylor, then serving Wilson, Oklahoma, police officers, were responding to a call that "involved Lakey acting in a disorderly way," per an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation statement.

The pair repeatedly used their Tasers when Lakey didn't comply, the bureau said. Lakey was hospitalized and died in custody two days later.
The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined his death was due to complications of a heart attack "and law enforcement use of electrical weapon and restraint," according to the Daily Ardmoreite.

Of note: A jury in Carter County, Oklahoma, on Friday also found Dingman and Taylor guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, per the NYT.

The second-degree murder charge carries a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

What's next: Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2.

2 former police officers who used Tasers on man over 50 times convicted of murder The second-degree murder charge carries a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

Steel core inside of a "rubber" bullet used by police.

A former Minneapolis police officer has been found guilty of stealing controlled substances and violating civil rights through unconstitutional searches and seizures.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says 29-year-old Ty Raymond Jindra was convicted of three counts of acquiring a controlled substance by deception and two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.

Prosecutors say Jindra abused his position to get controlled substances, including methamphetamine, oxycodone, fentanyl, tramadol and other drugs, from September 2017 through October 2019.

Jindra failed to report, log, inform other officers or put substances he'd confiscated into evidence in order to divert the controlled substances for his own purposes, the attorney's office says. He'd also find ways to search people or their vehicles or home so he could recover controlled substances without his partner's knowledge, occasionally conducting searches beyond the scope warranted.

He faces a sentence of up to four years in prison on each count of acquiring a controlled substance and up to one year on each civil rights count. His sentencing date hasn't yet been set.

https://kstp.com/minnesota-news/former-mpd-officer-found-guilty-of-civil-rights-violations-stealing-controlled-substances/6289247/

US cops have killed 400 unarmed people during routine traffic stops over the last five years and the majority were in police districts that rely on ticketing revenue

An investigation revealed that more than 400 Americans were killed during traffic stops in the last five years
Many of the incidents involved minor infractions and none of the drivers who died were reportedly armed or under pursuit for violent crimes
The stops were often financially motivated as many municipalities nationwide rely on ticket revenue and court fees to maintain their governmental operations
In most cases the officers said they were responding to disobedience and feared for their lives
Only five officers have been convicted in the traffic stop killings and most other incidents have been deemed 'legally justifiable' by prosecutors
Meanwhile, local governments have paid at least $125million to resolve approximately 40 wrongful-death lawsuits
Traffic stops are the most common police encounters with civilians
Ten officers have been killed this year during these interactions

Why Many Police Traffic Stops Turn Deadly Officers, trained to presume danger, have reacted with outsize aggression. For hundreds of unarmed drivers, the consequences have been fatal.

While Philadelphia is the largest city to ban such traffic stops, some local and state governments have also enacted similar policies.

In September, Ramsey County, Minnesota, announced prosecutors will no longer pursue cases against people who are unfairly targeted and detained during non-public safety stops. The new policy comes five years after former St. Anthony Police Department officer Jeronimo Yanez fatally shot Philando Castile seven times during a traffic stop in 2016 over a broken tail light, prosecutors said.
In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey announced in August that the city's police officers will no longer conduct pretextual traffic stops for low-level offenses as part of his 2022 budget proposal. Officers are prohibited from making pretextual stops for "expired tabs, an item dangling from a mirror, or an expired license," according to a city news release.

Philadelphia to become first major US city to ban police from stopping drivers for low-level traffic violations When Philadelphia's mayor signs landmark legislation as soon as this week, the city will become the first major US city to ban police from stopping drivers for low-level traffic violations -- stops that studies show target Black drivers at disproportionately higher rates.

5 INVESTIGATES recently analyzed every excessive force case settled by the League of Minnesota Cities insurance trust over the past five years.

The review identified nearly 30 officers who were never investigated by internal affairs, even when their alleged misconduct resulted in six-figure payouts, according to records obtained through a series of requests under the state’s public records law.

As previously reported, those cases are often settled in silence with payouts ranging from a few thousand to more than half a million dollars, and little to no transparency. But the court records offer a rare window into the type of alleged misconduct that has been ignored by internal affairs for years.

Critics argue it’s another way police departments have failed to hold officers accountable.

Even when on national TV, allegations of police misconduct regularly ignored by internal affairs 5 INVESTIGATES recently analyzed every excessive force case settled by the League of Minnesota Cities insurance trust over the past five years. The review identified nearly 30 officers who were never investigated by internal affairs, even when their alleged misconduct resulted in six-figure payouts.

A federal jury awarded $17 million in damages on Wednesday to the family of a mentally disabled man who was fatally shot by an off-duty Los Angeles police officer inside a Costco in Corona.

The jury’s verdict came a day after U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal found that Officer Salvador Sanchez used excessive and unreasonable force in June 2019 when he shot and killed 32-year-old Kenneth French. The shooting followed a brief confrontation between the two men in line to sample sausages.

Sanchez, who was fired last year, is awaiting trial on manslaughter and assault charges filed by the California attorney general’s office after a Riverside County grand jury declined to indict him a few months after the killing.

Family of man fatally shot by LAPD officer in Costco to get $17 million in damages An off-duty LAPD officer used excessive and unreasonable force in the 2019 fatal shooting of Kenneth French at a Costco in Corona, a judge finds.

“I’m not going to get vaccinated just to comply with arbitrary public safety rules,” says cop who makes living writing speeding tickets.
“It’s a personal choice. I know what’s safe for me and what I can handle. No one should be able to tell me otherwise,” said officer Mark Marincin as he wrote a ticket for a driver going 42 in a 30."

“Now if you’ll excuse me I have to stand idly by while an anti-lockdown protest threatens hospital workers.”

"I'm not going to get vaccinated just to comply with arbitrary public safety rules," says cop who makes living writing speeding tickets TORONTO - As the deadline looms for Toronto police to get vaccinated or be put on unpaid leave, many officers who spend their days writing speeding tickets are refusing to get "an unnecessary shot" just because "the man" says it's necessary for public safety.

TLDR: cops are called to deal with a suicidal man threatening to kill himself at home. They arrive at the house, they know the man is currently unarmed so they get their own guns ready. Man's wife and four kids are waiting on the ground floor, the man is upstairs. As cops come in, the family dog runs barking at them. Cop shoots the dog and misses. 3 bullet fragments ricochet and hit the 9yo girl only barely missing her eyes. She is taken to hospital, doesn't die.

Cop Fired for Shooting 9 yr Girl in the Head As He Tried to Kill Her Dog in a Room Full of Kids At the beginning of the month, a Witchita cop was fired after discharging his firearm inside a family’s home—in a cowardly attempt to kil...

Prosecutors say Officer Brian Cummings was pursuing the driver of a stolen vehicle when he ran a red light and slammed into Frazier's Jeep at 80 mph.

Minneapolis police officer charged in crash that killed Leneal Frazier Prosecutors say Officer Brian Cummings was pursuing the driver of a stolen vehicle when he ran a red light and slammed into Frazier's Jeep at 80 mph.

Revealed: pipeline company paid Minnesota police for arresting and surveilling protesters.
Enbridge picked up the tab for police wages, training and equipment – and let county police know when it wanted demonstrators arrested.

Revealed: pipeline company paid Minnesota police for arresting and surveilling protesters Enbridge picked up the tab for police wages, training and equipment – and let county police know when it wanted demonstrators arrested

New body camera footage reveals Minneapolis police officers talked about "hunting" down protesters and celebrated shooting them with rubber bullets five days after the murder of George Floyd.

New bodycam video shows officers discussed 'hunting' down protesters with less-lethal rounds New body camera footage reveals Minneapolis police officers talked about “hunting” down protesters and celebrated shooting them with rubber bullets five days after the murder of George Floyd.

https://www.kstp.com/news/big-lake-police-chief-matt-hayen-on-leave-under-internal-investigation/6260125/?cat=5

Big Lake's new police chief on leave, under internal investigation Just a few months after being sworn in as the new police chief in Big Lake, Matt Hayen is on paid administrative leave while the city investigates a complaint against him.

The city of Brooklyn Center introduced its first public safety changes as part of a package of reforms the mayor announced following the police killing of Daunte Wright in the spring.

Effective immediately, the new citation policy aims to prevent traffic stops for minor infractions that could escalate.

The new policy will prohibit detaining people for low-level offenses like nonmoving traffic infractions and nonfelony warrants. There are exceptions for public safety. The city says the policy follows all current laws and will be tweaked over time to address any concerns that may arise.

BCPD must justify arrests for non-felony offenses The city of Brooklyn Center introduced its first public safety changes Tuesday — part of a package of reforms the mayor announced following the police killing of Daunte Wright in the spring.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi announced a new policy to end felony prosecutions that stem from low-level traffic stops.

His office says the policy is designed to fundamentally change the use of traffic stops that are not initiated for public safety reasons.

These types of stops — for issues such as a broken tail light or expired license tabs — disproportionately affect minority communities, and can sometimes have fatal consequences.

In 2016, Philando Castile was pulled over for a broken tail light and fatally shot after he told an officer he had a gun.

Ramsey County to end felony prosecutions from low-level traffic stops Ramsey County Attorney John Choi is planning to announce a new policy to end felony prosecutions that stem from low-level traffic stops.

https://www.kstp.com/news/minneapolis-police-use-of-force-data-shows-officers-draw-handguns-more-often-than-less-lethal-weapons/6259136/?cat=1

Minneapolis police use-of-force data shows officers draw handguns more often than less-lethal weapons The Minneapolis Police Department presented an updated data report to the City Council last Friday breaking down use-of-force statistics for everything from the use of handcuffs to fi****ms in over 32,000 police reports filed through September of 2021.

Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed the third-degree murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor. His conviction was based on the third-degree depraved-mind murder charge in the death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond.

According to court records, the state's Supreme Court ruled to reverse the third-degree murder conviction and send the case to district court, where Noor will be re-sentenced for his second-degree manslaughter conviction. He was originally sentenced to 12½ years in prison.

Minnesota Supreme Court reverses former officer Mohamed Noor's 3rd-degree murder conviction Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed the third-degree murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor. His conviction was based on the third-degree depraved-mind murder charge in the death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond.

A judge on Monday put on hold a tougher standard on the use of deadly force by police officers until a lawsuit is resolved over the way a new law is constructed.

Ramsey County District Court Judge Leonardo Castro suspended the law passed in 2020 that requires officers to provide specific reasons to justify using lethal force.

Several law enforcement groups sued, saying that standard would infringe on constitutional protections against self-incrimination. The law went into effect in March, but there was little time between passage and enactment to train officers on the change.

Lawyers for the state sought unsuccessfully to have the case thrown out.

Judge puts Minnesota police force law on hold A Minnesota judge ruled that a new law requiring more specific justification for using deadly force raises constitutional questions. He said leaving it in place wouldn’t be fair to officers while the law’s legitimacy is decided.