Minnesota activists demand an end to police tactics used against demonstrators (4-16-2021) - "At a press conference on Thursday activists demanded Democratic-Farmer-Labor Gov.Tim Walz end his administration's use of fascist, police-state like tactics to sweep protesters off the streets in Brooklyn Center, the city where Daunte Wright was killed. Attorney and civil rights activist, Nekima Levy Armstrong, demanded the immediate removal of John Harrington, the Gov.Walz appointee that heads the state's Department of Public Safety. 'It does not matter, that he is Black,' she said referring to Harrington. 'He cannot hide behind his race and think that we are going to ignore the brutality that he has ordered. He has established a joint task force that is a terror force against Black people, brown people, indigenous people.' Nightly officers from a consortium of area law enforcement agencies in the northwest suburbs descend on the area outside the city police building to enforce the curfew. Dressed in high-tech combat and swat team gear they sweep along the streets as they launch tear gas and flashbang grenades ahead of them. Residents report the gasses seep into nearby apartment buildings and homes and the grenades frighten their children. The neighborhood surrounding the police building includes apartment buildings and homes predominantly occupied by people of color. The City of Brooklyn Center is majority people of color. 'If those homes had been inhabited by white, affluent families, we would have not seen what we are seeing today,' said Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN)."

Can Drivers Be Pulled Over For An Air Freshner? (4-16-2021) - "Brad Haywood, executive director of Justice Forward Virginia, an advocacy organization for criminal justice reform, said as a public defender, he’s represented dozens of people who have been pulled over for having items dangling from their rearview mirrors, including air fresheners and rosary beads. 'I do not remember in my career as a defense attorney representing someone stopped for an obstructed view who was white,' he said. 'It's just been Black and brown people.'"

Clashes in Brooklyn Center open rift over law enforcement tactics (4-16-2021) - "Ongoing clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement at Brooklyn Center police headquarters are sparking sharp criticism of the military-style presence and tactics used to control demonstrations in the wake of Sunday's police killing of Daunte Wright. A small but growing coalition of activists and Democratic elected leaders have called on Gov. Tim Walz and the law enforcement groups involved with Operation Safety Net to stand down or stop using so-called flash-bang devices and chemical irritants to control protesters who have converged at the police station every night since Sunday. A group of 35 community groups, unions and social justice organizations called for an immediate end to the police and military presence, saying authorities are using unnecessarily aggressive and dangerous tactics. 'We are horrified by the state's preemptive force against its people, and the compounding trauma caused by the state against Black, brown and Indigenous communities,' the group said in a statement. 'Punishing people for grieving police violence with militarized force is not leadership - it is violence.'"

Tensions build between Gov. Tim Walz, progressives over Brooklyn Center response (4-16-2021) - "And Walz is facing a backlash for not roundly condemning tear gas and projectiles used in the first nights of protests in Brooklyn Center, prompting some DFL activists and officials to call for an end to using these tactics on crowds responding to police violence. 'That is trauma upon trauma upon trauma and abuse at the hands of those who are pretending to protect and serve,' civil rights lawyer and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong said outside the Brooklyn Center police headquarters at the center of protests this week. 'Governor Walz needs to step forward, he needs to push for accountability, he needs to call for an end to that type of abuse."

Brooklyn Center Leaders Asking Outside Law Enforcement to Scale Back Engagement with Protesters (4-16-2021) - "People who live in the area say many of their neighbors are staying in hotels or with relatives to avoid the noise as well as the tear gas that seeps into their homes. 'We can't just have our window open any more without thinking about if there's going to be some gas coming in,' said 16-year-old Xzavion Martin, adding that rubber bullets and other projectiles have landed on his apartment's second-story balcony. 'There's kids in this building that are really scared to come back.' The tactics have not sat well with Brooklyn Center city officials, who passed a resolution Monday banning the city's officers from using tear gas and other chemicals, chokeholds, and police lines to arrest demonstrators. Mayor Mike Elliott, who is Black, said at a news conference Wednesday that 'gassing is not a human way of policing' and he didn't agree with police using pepper spray, tear gas and paintballs against demonstrators. "

Police back off on 5th night of protests in Brooklyn Center (4-16-2021) - "Protesters by the hundreds have gathered outside the heavily secured Brooklyn Center Police Department each night since 20-year-old Daunte Wright, a Black man, was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop April 11. But in contrast to protests between Sunday and Wednesday, authorities used a less aggressive strategy on Thursday night, and the result was a far more more peaceful situation that saw no protesters being struck by rubber marking rounds, pepper spray, shock grenades or tear gas. Police did not discharge any weapons on the crowd, even after the city's 10 p.m. curfew passed. Instead, police were backed away from a newly reinforced fence and barricade surrounding the police department. They also never issued a dispersal order, never forming lines of riot gear-dressed officers to march through the streets with batons."

Despite curfew, fifth night of Brooklyn Center protest ends with no dispersal (4-16-2021) - "Contrasting with previous nights, law enforcement officers stayed well back from the fence. At least a dozen rifle-bearing National Guard members watched the protest from the station's roof, while others walked the ground inside the fences, well away from the fences pocked with air fresheners and umbrellas. The more subdued law enforcement response followed expressions of difference Wednesday and Thursday between Brooklyn Center leaders and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, which is leading the defense of the police building, over the use of tear gas and other aggressive crowd dispersal methods. The majority of Thursday's protesters were peaceful. Through the night, many of them hung vehicle air fresheners on the fence, a reference to Wright's mother's statement that her son had one dangling from his car's rearview mirror when he was stopped. The scents of new car, blackberry, cherry and green apple mingled with that of barbecued meat across the protest area."

Residents near Brooklyn Center Police Dept. caught in the crossfire of ongoing protests (4-15-2021) - "'It's like tear gas being shot over here,' said Tolliver. 'Rubber pellets being shot over here. We're right at ground zero. It's like being in a third world country where don't nobody care.' Jamaya Crayton captured cell phone video of the unrest. It's a snapshot of what she sees from her second story apartment every night. 'It's like a war going on in the middle of your front yard and there is nothing you can do,' said Crayton. The other day, she found a rubber bullet shell on her balcony. She says all the loud noises are particularly upsetting to her three-year-old daughter and two young nieces who have autism and don't understand what is happening. 'I'm tired,' said Crayton. 'I'm tired every day. I haven't gotten any sleep my kids are coughing. They are uncomfortable, scared and it's really pissing me off because there is nothing I can do.'"

Nightly Brooklyn Center protests met with curfews, tear gas, arrests (4-15-2021) - "Law enforcement have lined up in the parking lots and lawns of the apartments across the street, blocking residents from entering or leaving their homes. Tear gas and other chemical irritants set off by police have hung in the air around the residents' homes for several nights in a row. Law enforcement officers have shot tear gas canisters onto porches of the apartment buildings, where protesters and residents have scrambled to extinguish them. The protests die down during the day, but the area still bears the marks of the police retaliation. Apartment lawns are streaked with tire tracks, and the street is littered with police paint markers. At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, projectiles left over from the night before exploded three different times over the course of an hour. "

Overall, a better response to protests (4-15-2021) - "Violence also jeopardizes residents caught in the crossfire between protesters and law enforcement, particularly with the use of chemical agents such as tear gas - a tactic that Elliott has decried. To his credit, Elliott stood up for another First Amendment guarantee: a free press. Journalists have the right and responsibility to report on the protests. That right was jeopardized Tuesday by an irresponsible call for media members to disperse. And some have been injured this week, including two from the Star Tribune. State, county and local political leaders - as well as Minnesota National Guard leadership - need to unequivocally tell those responding to the protests that journalists, and more profoundly the First Amendment, needs to be protected. Amid the glare of the Chauvin trial, which is being covered by foreign and national correspondents, the international image of Minnesota is undergoing enduring damage. No Minnesotan should want their cities to be seen as armed encampments, with National Guard forces joining law enforcement in cordoning off buildings and pushing back and ultimately arresting protesters. Nor should they want to see a repeat of the chaos of last May, which left literal and figurative scars on Minneapolis and St. Paul. What the world will hopefully see going forward is an earnest attempt by authorities to allow for legitimate expression of First Amendment rights by peaceful protests and a free and unfettered press."

'I'm scared because of that booming': A preschooler and her family watch protests, police in Brooklyn Center. (4-15-2021) - "Four-year-old Tenea Anderson loves that she gets to watch cartoons in the hotel room she has been staying in with her family over the last few days. But she keeps asking her mom, Tenean Manier, to turn the channel so she can watch the news. 'This little girl, with how much she loves cartoons, now she requests to watch CNN,' Manier said. 'Because she's like, 'I want to check on the house.'' Their apartment building is on Humboldt Avenue, right by the Brooklyn Center Police Department. Tenea said she's seen a lot of people on TV standing outside her balcony with umbrellas. She said the loud noises outside her apartment were scary. 'I'm scared because of that booming,' she said, '[I hid] under the bed.' After Daunte Wright was shot and killed by a Brooklyn Center police officer Sunday afternoon, Manier said Tenea didn't sleep most of the night. Nobody did. 'She got under the bed, she was crying, she didn't know what was going on,' Manier said. 'She was like, 'Mommy what is that? I'm scared.'' The area around the family's building quickly filled with protesters, then police officers and flash-bangs. Manier said it felt like their neighborhood had suddenly become a war zone. 'I said, 'We're OK. I'm here to protect you,'' Manier said. 'But I honestly didn't know or couldn't find the words to try to explain to my 4-year-old daughter what is going on in the world we live in today.'"

No tear gas used as police, protesters engage for a 4th night in Brooklyn Center (4-15-2021) - "There were also reports of residents from local apartment buildings being caught up in the police response, with at least one appearing to be detained by officers, while members of the media were also held at points and required to present ID to be photographers."

Fewer arrests, calmer scene on fourth night of Brooklyn Center protests (4-14-2021) - "VanPelt and others questioned the need for the heavy police presence. 'How are we the violent ones? They're the ones ready for war,' she said of the National Guard members and riot police behind fortified fences across the street. At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Elliott urged protesters to remain peaceful and abide by the curfew, but he also made it clear that he didn't agree with policing tactics against protesters and the members of the media, who were asked to leave Tuesday night. 'I did initially ask for mutual aid,' he said. 'The operation last night was under the auspices of the Sheriff's Office. And that's all I'll say about that.' Elliott was asked whether this was a 'democratic crisis' given that he doesn't agree with law enforcement's response of tear gas and pepper spray but only has control over his own officers. He said most of his officers were responding to 911 calls across the city. 'Our Police Department was not engaged in using any pepper spray or gas,' he said, adding that there needs to be a different approach to policing. 'Gassing is not a humane way of policing.'"

'It's absolutely terrorizing': Residents near Brooklyn Center unrest rattled by clashes, tear gas (4-14-2021) - "'It's absolutely terrorizing,' he said as he wiped away welling tears. 'I moved across from a police station because I thought it'd be safe.' Fiebelkorn lives in Sterling Square Apartments, which is a group of four buildings with about 50 apartments directly across from the Brooklyn Center Police Department. The block has been ground zero for mass demonstrations since Sunday, when 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed by Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter during a traffic stop. Potter, who has since resigned from the Police Department, was charged Wednesday with second-degree manslaughter. Law enforcement officers have clashed with the protesters, using tear gas, flash-bang grenades and projectiles to clear the crowds. For those living in the apartments nearby, that has meant finding bright green marking rounds and gas canisters landing on their balconies. It has meant sleepless nights of trying to watch through windows while fearing a projectile will fly through the glass. And even for those residents who did try going to bed, the coughing caused by the tear gas was often enough to keep them awake. 'My place smells like smoke and there are times when it's hard to breathe,' said Jamiya Crayton, 24. She's been stuffing wet towels around her windows, but it's not enough, she said."

Caught in the crosshairs: Residents who live near Brooklyn Center police station describe fear, chaos (4-14-2021) - "'People are bringing food and water, the community's coming together. It's really amazing to see. I love seeing it,' she said. The Brooklyn Center resident said protestors broke out into disorder because police first shot with rubber bullets and flash bangs. 'When they aim it just goes anywhere. It's like hitting the building, hitting peoples cars, hitting people,' Johnson explained."

Tear gas at bedtime: Brooklyn Center residents, including kids, suffer from aggressive police tactics to quell Daunte Wright protests (4-13-2021) - "Children suffering from tear gas exposure, even though they are at home and in bed. A man hit in the hand by what appeared to be a pellet from crowd-control munitions. A guest arrested while trying to park his car. The Sterling Square Apartments are a two-building complex that stands directly across the street from the Brooklyn Center Police Department. For the last several nights, the lawn in front of the buildings has become the center of protests over the killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Law enforcement has repeatedly deployed blunt crowd control tactics that disrupt the protests, but also sweep in people who live nearby. On Monday, the second night of protests, the aggressive crowd control tactics were deployed shortly after the city passed a resolution banning their use by the BCPD. Nuwoe Larblah, a Liberian immigrant, lives with his partner and two children, an 11-year-old daughter and 9-month-old son. On the first night, Sunday, Larblah said tear gas got into his apartment and irritated his children, even though his doors and windows were closed. His partner took the kids to stay with his mother the next night. 'The first night was really hectic,' he said, but the children are fine now. Larblah blames the police for the chaos, and is still shaken by the killing of Wright."

Brooklyn Center Police Use Tear Gas on Crowd 15 Minutes After Its Use Was Banned (4-13-2021) - "On Monday night, the Brooklyn Center City Council passed a resolution banning the use of crowd control tactics like rubber bullets, protester kettling and tear gas. A mere 15 minutes later, the police were already breaking that rule, according to reports. Videos show the police launching canisters of tear gas on protesting crowds on Monday night shortly after the rule was passed. The crowd was protesting the police-perpetrated killing of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man shot and killed by a police officer in the Minneapolis suburb this weekend. Videos from later in the night show the police continuing to use the banned tear gas on protesters, spraying protesters with pepper spray and using stun guns to disperse the crowd. "

Jane Fonda tells us why she's still being harassed by the police (3-26-2021) - "Last week, Jane Fonda - the iconic award-winning actor and lifelong activist - was travelling through the backroads of northern Minnesota to protest a proposed pipeline that would cut through Ojibwe territory, when she and her companions were stopped by police. The white trooper from the Minnesota State Patrol said they had failed to flick on the car's blinker soon enough before a turn. Fonda, newly vaccinated against Covid-19, was having none of it. 'It was very clear the point was to make us miss the press conference,' she said to me over the phone the following morning. The trooper kept Fonda and her group for 20 minutes before allowing them to continue on their journey, and then they tailed close behind for the rest of the drive, she said. 'If this were my life, day after day, multiple times a day, I would be so angry,' Fonda fumed. 'It's stressful to feel like you're constantly being surveilled and harassed and arrested for nothing.'"

Minneapolis residents demand transparency after police inflate carjacking charges (3-9-2021) - "Police and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said that aggressive enforcement and helicopter surveillance netted 87 arrests and dozens of felony charges during carjacking crackdowns this winter in south Minneapolis. But a Star Tribune analysis of Hennepin County jail rosters on the days the helicopter was in use could not verify authorities' claims that the operations 'resulted in 41 felony-level arrests' in December and 46 arrests with '69 felony-level charges' in January. When pressed on the issue, city officials later acknowledged that just 15 of those cases were actually charged, though police say many remain under investigation. The enforcement campaign's inflated success is deeply concerning to many south Minneapolis residents who endured days of low-flying helicopter operation that now has them questioning the value of the surveillance and wondering what other information authorities were collecting."

In Minnesota, racial discrimination cases often hit dead end (2-28-2021) - "A Minnesota state trooper pulled over Sylvia Harris and her husband on a summer evening near their home in Woodbury. The patrolman said he had a warrant for her husband's arrest. Harris' husband started wrestling with a medical device for a heart condition, so she stepped out of the car to explain why he was fumbling. The trooper pulled out his Taser, and soon she found herself handcuffed in the back seat of a squad car. Harris was eventually released, but the humiliation of the encounter left her traumatized. 'I literally was shook that in sweet, white, suburban Woodbury, where we own our home, where my husband worked 30 years at Ford,' that this could happen, Harris, 65, said of the 2014 encounter. 'As an African American, I don't have the privilege of driving up and down my main street without getting stopped.' Harris filed a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. More than a year later, in 2016, the department concluded that there was probable cause to believe the officers discriminated against Harris. ... Harris said she and her husband have been unable to figure out why they were stopped that day. The Department of Human Rights confirmed there had been no warrants for his arrest. At the time, Harris feared that the situation could have turned out much worse. She felt like she was saved when a fellow churchgoer saw what was happening and got their pastor. The pastor came to the scene and spoke with the patrolman and the officers who arrived at the scene. After several tense minutes, the patrolman finally told Harris she could leave if she apologized for leaving her vehicle to approach the officer. ... Harris was shocked by the thoroughness of the investigation when the department returned its findings. In a 14-page memo, the department determined that the trooper arresting her after she had returned to her vehicle violated the law. The trooper told the pastor during the incident 'quite honestly, her attitude suggests to me she ought to be put in jail,' which the agency concluded could be seen as bias, and the 50-minute length of the stop also suggested bias. "

Lawsuit claiming Minneapolis police targeted photojournalist during riots allowed to proceed (2-23-2021) - "Motions to dismiss a class action lawsuit by Minnesota freelance journalist Jared Goyette are currently pending. Goyette, who was also hit in the eye but fully recovered, filed the lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, alleging at least 10 instances of police or Minnesota State Patrol officers targeting journalists. Two protesters who also lost their vision to foam or rubber bullets have also filed lawsuits."

Study: 'Less lethal' weapons used by police during George Floyd protests 'not appropriate,' caused significant injuries (1-14-2021) - "The police use of less-lethal weapons for crowd control during the George Floyd civil unrest in the Twin Cities led to a significant number of head, neck and face injuries, violating United Nations guidelines for such weapons, according to a study published Wednesday. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine said that the findings indicate 'that under current practices, projectiles are not appropriate for crowd control.' Conducted by an interdisciplinary team from the University of Minnesota, the study was peer reviewed and published as a letter in the highly respected medical journal."

6 months after George Floyd was killed, the untold arrest of an ex-Illinois state trooper (11-25-2020) - "'They put me in a holding cell' Cooper said. 'So I asked what was I being charged with. They looked on the papers and they said, we have no charges.' Twenty hours later he was released without charges, or an apology. His release even then required the intervention of his company in Los Angeles, and friends in the Chicago legal community, who went back to the Minnesota governor's office - the same governor who had apologized for a similar CNN arrest just a day earlier. But Cooper said, in his case, there was no public proclamation or anything else. He said nothing has changed in the past six months. A mugshot and inmate booking sheet were the only documents provided by authorities following I-Team open records requests of the county sheriff, state police and the governor's office. The jail record cites a criminal weapons count and that Cooper was 'released pending complaint.' But a complaint has never been filed. Michael Cooper said there was only one explanation for what happened to him. 'Honestly, I didn't want to go this route," said Cooper. 'I think it was because of the color of my skin..... I'd do believe that. I'm still trying to cope with it and you know I still wake up thinking about it. How can this happen?' Cooper - still a lawman at heart - now questions whether some very innocent people are locked up under the law. A feeling he never thought he'd have."

'It's outrageous': Over 600 protesters surrounded, detained and arrested on I-94 (11-6-2020) - "While Minnesota State Patrol tweeted that 'walking on the freeway is very dangerous for pedestrians and drivers,' Minneapolis officials and others criticized officers' decision to keep the freeway blocked for five hours when the march was just a few hundred feet away from the off-ramp. 'This overreaction from law enforcement is generating more disturbance and chaos than the protesters who went onto the highway,' tweeted Ward 5 Council member Jeremiah Ellison, who witnessed the situation. Many protesters called various city and state officials, including the governor and the mayor, while trapped. Law enforcement did not issue a dispersal order for protesters after surrounding them, but immediately announced that they were under arrest for public nuisance and unlawful gathering. Minnesota State Statute notes that public nuisance is an act that 'interferes with' or 'obstructs' any public highway, among other definitions. Minnesota State Patrol also tweeted that 'no force or chemicals' were used against protesters. However, Minnesota Public Radio photojournalist Evan Frost photographed an officer macing spectators gathered outside a nearby apartment building."

Ramsey County Sheriff's Department introducing body-worn cameras (9-27-2020) - "Ramsey County is now the 3rd-largest department in the state with body worn cameras. State Patrol and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department do not yet have body worn cameras."

Minnesota Cops Seek Immunity in Hurt Journalist's Protest Suit (9-15-2020) - "Minnesota law enforcement officials sought to shake off a proposed civil rights class action brought by journalists injured while reporting on Black Lives Matter protests in Minneapolis, arguing qualified immunity protects them from any liability for claims of excessive force. Freelance journalist Jared Goyette claims a police officer shot him in the face May 27 with less-lethal ballistic ammunition while trying to make contact with an injured protester. In a separate case, photographer Linda Tirado alleges she lost an eye May 29 to foam bullets shot by police officers at the crowd of protesters."

Controversial law allows police to seize and sell cars of non-lawbreakers, keeping the proceeds (8-24-2020) - "'Most critically, (the law) provides no assessment whatsoever - let alone a reliable assessment - that the State has the legal authority to permanently take the vehicle of a purportedly innocent owner,' wrote the court in its opinion. 'It seems the policy of most police departments is 'shoot first, ask questions later' - take the vehicle and then figure out if it's proper. And even so, they only have to return it if a judge says so,' Ramsay said. Judges ordered law enforcement to return vehicles to their owners more than 600 times in three years, according to the statewide data."

Trooper charged with sending himself nude photos from woman's phone makes first court appearance (8-10-2020) - "A trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol who is accused of texting himself nude photos from the phone of a woman he arrested in March made his first court appearance on Monday. Albert Kuehne, 36, of Dayton has not entered a plea to felony stalking charges and did not respond to questions as he arrived at the Hennepin County Government Center with his wife. In court, the judge denied a defense to return the trooper's personal cell phone. Prosecutors argued the phone is still evidence in an active case."

Watch footage from a Minnesota State Patrol plane spying on Minneapolis [VIDEO] (8-3-2020) - "But there were other eyes in the sky on the protests, too - including a spy plane deployed by the Minnesota State Patrol, according to flight records. VICE requested several days' worth of video from the drone to see exactly what this technology was capable of. Unfortunately, the publication says, it didn't manage to get any footage of the protests. That stuff is being withheld pending active investigations. "

This Is Footage From a Spy Plane That Flew Above George Floyd Protests in Minneapolis (7-29-2020) - "Motherboard has obtained video recorded from powerful infrared cameras mounted on a Minnesota State Patrol spy plane that has repeatedly circled over Minneapolis during recent Black Lives Matter protests. The black-and-white footage is similar in style to military drone videos from war zones, and it demonstrates the power of the domestic surveillance being routinely used in American cities."

Public defender accuses prosecutors of withholding information in state trooper investigation (7-10-2020) - "The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has now dropped charges in three cases where Minnesota State Trooper Albert Kuehne was a key witness, but the public defender said prosecutors withheld critical information and still pressed for a guilty plea from one defendant just days before the trooper was formally charged with felony stalking in June."

Omar Jimenez: On Air And Under Arrest (7-10-2020) - "In just a few moments, Omar, who is a 26-year-old Afro-Latino man, went from being a reporter of the story to a subject himself, when he was arrested live on the air by the Minnesota State Patrol. The video of Omar's arrest would be viewed millions of times and go viral on social media. His unwarranted arrest, even after clearly demonstrating he was a journalist, became yet another symbol of racist comportment by the police."

State Patrol trooper charged with felony stalking (6-23-2020) - "When the victim returned home, the complaint says her boyfriend was using her laptop, which is linked to her cell phone, and the computer's records showed the woman's phone was accessed and nude photos of her were texted from it to an unknown phone.The boyfriend called the number and the person who answered eventually identified himself as Kuehne, according to the complaint. The victim then called a lawyer, who reported the incident and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) began an investigation."

Journalist blinded in one eye while covering protests sues Minneapolis police, state patrol (6-11-2020) - "A lawsuit filed in Hennepin County says Tirado was wearing a respirator and goggles, and had her press credential prominently displayed around her neck, and stepped in front of the protest line before aiming her camera 'at the police officers to take a picture of the police line. Ignoring the press credential she wore around her neck, police officers marked her with a ballistic tracking round. Then, with a bright green target on her, the police shot her in her face with foam bullets,' the suit says."

KARE 11 Investigates: State refuses to identify weapons used against protesters (6-10-2020) - "To determine if law enforcement was using the less lethal weapons according to safety rules and department policy, KARE 11 asked the agencies what type of rounds they used during the George Floyd protests. St. Paul and Minneapolis police departments made that information public. However, the Minnesota State Patrol claims the public doesn't have the right to know what they fired at citizens."

Minnesota state troopers admit "strategically" deflating tires during George Floyd protests (6-9-2020) - "Minnesota State Patrol troopers have admitted to 'strategically' deflating tires during protests following the death of George Floyd. The state's Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed the action, CBS Minnesota reports, after social media videos emerged of officers appearing to slash tires in parking lots amid the demonstrations."

Police are Attacking Journalists at Protests. We're Suing. (6-3-2020) - "Throughout the George Floyd protests, there have been numerous, well-documented instances of deliberate abuse against journalists by law enforcement officers. A Minnesota State Patrol officer arrested CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez and his crew during a live broadcast, despite the journalists repeatedly having offered to comply with police and asking where they could move. Los Angeles Times reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske and photographer Carolyn Cole were chased by Minnesota State Patrol officers, tear-gassed, and shot at with rubber bullets, even though both were wearing their press credentials and they identified themselves as journalists. And police officers pepper-sprayed a group of visibly credentialed journalists, including KTSP reporter Ryan Raiche and his producer, as they were pinned against a wall."

Minneapolis cops, State Patrol targeted journalists, protesters with violence, lawsuits say (6-3-2020) - "'Over the past week, the Minneapolis Police and the Minnesota State Patrol have tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, shot in the face with rubber bullets, arrested without cause, and threatened journalists at gunpoint, all after these journalists identified themselves and were otherwise clearly engaged in their reporting duties,'' the complaint reads."

Times reporter recounts being hit with rubber bullets by Minnesota police (5-30-2020) - "'This is the Minnesota State Patrol,' a trooper announced through a bullhorn, notifying protesters they were in violation of the curfew and should disperse. I figured he wasn't talking to us, that the press were exempt, just as during the COVID-19 pandemic we are exempt from quarantines and allowed to travel. We were wearing our credentials. The Times photographer I was with, Carolyn Cole, wore a flak jacket labeled 'TV.' I was wrong. The officers started by firing tear gas indiscriminately into the street. We watched, cameras rolling. But instead of passing, the officers turned, backed us up against the precinct wall and fired. 'Press!' I shouted, waving my notebook an arm's length from an officer in riot gear advancing through the smoke. The officer said nothing, just kept firing. Cole was hit in the face with pepper spray. Other reporters piled on top of me against the wall. That, plus my goggles and mask, shielded me from most of the gas."

Minnesota State Patrol Blasted for "Lie" Tweet About CNN Arrest of Journalists (5-29-2020) - "Still, at 5 a.m. PT, the verified MSP account posted: 'In the course of clearing the streets and restoring order at Lake Street and Snelling Avenue, four people were arrested by State Patrol troopers, including three members of a CNN crew. The three were released once they were confirmed to be members of the media.' The tweet was immediately blasted by users, among them numerous journalists, for being wildly erroneous. 'This is not accurate - our CNN crew identified themselves, on live television, immediately as journalists. We thank Minnesota @GovTimWalz for his swift action this morning to aid in the release of our crew,'' the official CNN communications account responded."

CNN reporting crew arrested live on TV by Minnesota state police (5-29-2020) - "Jimenez and the crew could be seen being taken into custody around 5:15 a.m. local time, even though Jimenez's media credentials were visible on him. Gov. Tim Walz said Friday that he takes 'full responsibility' for what happened. 'There is absolutely no reason something like this should happen,' he said."

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