Officer Michelle Coffey Arrested for Drunk Driving

A Coon Rapids police officer is scheduled to appear in court next month on suspicion of driving drunk while off duty two weeks ago.

Michelle Coffey, 43, was arrested April 10 after the vehicle she was driving was involved in a property damage accident in Ramsey and the responding officer detected a strong smell of alcohol on Coffey's breath, according to an incident report provided Tuesday by Ramsey police.

Coffey, a patrol officer, has been employed with the Coon Rapids Police Department for at least 15 years, according to Police Chief Brad Wise.

"She is taking this very seriously and will be taking proactive steps to address it," said Mike Brandt, Coffey's attorney.

The incident took place at 4:42 a.m. at the intersection of Sunfish Lake Boulevard and Nowthen Boulevard.

Coffey was reportedly traveling on Sunfish Lake Boulevard with a male passenger when she went to turn onto Nowthen Boulevard and pulled out in front of another car, the incident report said.

The other vehicle ended up hitting Coffey on the driver's side, causing heavy damage to both vehicles. Nobody was hurt.

Coffey, who initially told the investigating officer that she had not been driving, failed sobriety tests at the scene.

She recorded a 0.19 blood-alcohol concentration at the Ramsey police station.

She faces two misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated and is scheduled to be arraigned May 9 in Anoka County District Court.

Wise described Coffey as a "good person and a great cop" who has no sustained complaints in her personnel file.

She will remain on active duty as her case makes its way through the court system.

"She will respond to the citation and the courts will deal with it and, once that happens, obviously as an employer we will deal with it, also," Wise said. "She made a mistake and she needs to answer for that, but I hope she gets treated just like everybody else."

Former County Deputy Aaron Heuer Pleds Guilty to Four Counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct

A former Mille Lacs County sheriff’s deputy who volunteered at a summer camp in Otter Tail County  has plead guilty to criminal sexual conduct charges and could face 33 years in prison.

The Otter Tail County  Attorney’s Office announced that Aaron Joseph Heuer of Isle, Minn., pled guilty to four counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second degree criminal sexual conduct with five separate victims. As part of the agreement, Heuer will also plead guilty to one count of first degree criminal sexual conduct in Mille Lacs County.  The plea agreement calls for a sentence of 396 months in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 8 in Otter Tail County District Court.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) led the investigation involving Heuer and identified incidents at two locations in June 2013. According to the criminal complaint, the first incidents took place when Heuer was volunteering as a fishing guide at Lutheran Island Camp in Henning, Minn.  As part of his plea, Heuer admits that he inappropriately touched four male victims, ages 8-10, and instructed them to have sexual contact with him. Additional incidents are alleged to have taken place with two of the victims on a separate fishing trip in Aitkin County that was unrelated to the camp. Investigators believe Heuer knew all of the victims prior to the incidents.

The BCA conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Mille Lacs, Otter Tail and Aitkin County sheriff’s offices and the Otter Tail County, Aitkin County, and Stearns County Attorney’s offices.

Officer Richard Jouppi Found Not Guilty of Beating Man in Wheelchair

Back in 2012 Richard Jouppi was booking 50-year old, wheelchair bound, Anthony Jon Jackson in the detoxification center. Jouppi was clearly causing pain and hurting Jackson, at which point Jackson reached up with his arm to defend himself, and told Jouppi, “you can’t do that.”

Jouppi then stooped to particularly low level and began to pummel Jackson to the point of knocking him backwards out of the wheelchair and then getting on top of his paralyzed body.

Jackson was booked for felony assault. The charges were later dropped.

Jouppi, 36, faced fifth-degree assault and disorderly conduct charges after the aggressive incident. This past November, Jouppi was found not guilty on all charges.

Even Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay, was upset with the outcome and posted the following statement to his Facebook page,

“While I respect the judicial process I am very disappointed by the verdict in the Richard Jouppi case. His actions on September 21, 2012 were not consistent with department training or policy, bringing discredit to our department and detracting from the excellent work our women and men do on a daily basis. As I said previously, we will do everything we can legally to ensure he never works for our department again.”

YouTubeVideoBeating

It should come as no surprise that Jouppi was found not guilty. Cops can murder, beat, humiliate, rape and sodomize and keep their positions.

As he defended himself on the stand he even proclaimed the “unofficial” police oath, “It’s a tough position to be in as a police officer because I have to go home. I have my wife and kids at home.”

The bright side to this story, if there is one, is that Police Chief Ramsay has said his department has done everything in its power to ensure that Jouppi never works on the force again.

Back in 2012 Richard Jouppi was booking 50-year old, wheelchair bound, Anthony Jon Jackson in the detoxification center. Jouppi was clearly causing pain and hurting Jackson, at which point Jackson reached up with his arm to defend himself, and told Jouppi, “you can’t do that.”
Jouppi then stooped to particularly low level and began to pummel Jackson to the point of knocking him backwards out of the wheelchair and then getting on top of his paralyzed body.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/cop-beat-wheelchair-bound-man-guilty-charges/#WVuDCUCCtK7pakQb.99

Former Officer Kills Man at Sports Bar

A former Chisholm police officer is facing possible murder charges after a shooting at a sports bar on Saturday night.

Authorities say a 47-year-old patron was killed and another suffered life-threatening injuries when the suspect opened fire with one of two handguns inside Jim's Sports Club Bar and Grill just before 10 p.m.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Andy Skoogman said that the suspect had been kicked out of the bar minutes earlier after an altercation with a group of people sitting in the bar with his former wife.

Skoogman said the suspect, a former police officer in the '80s, returned minutes after being kicked out of the bar with two handguns.

"He fired off 5 shots, injuring two people and fatally shooting a third person," Skoogman said. "All three were sitting at the same table as his ex-wife and all three were shot at close range.

"We believe this was a domestic dispute that took place in a public place. It escalated to an extremely violent situation and the true tragedy here is that the victims are all individuals who tried to keep the peace."

A third patron was also wounded in the shooting, and authorities say as many as 100 people may have been in the bar at the time.

Police say a bystander knocked out the suspect with a chair to end the shooting.

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Trial to Begin for Officer Michael Ficken Accused of Misconduct

A jury trial involving officer misconduct allegations against former Prior Lake police officer Michael Alan Ficken is set to begin next week in Scott County District Court in Shakopee.

Ficken, 34, of Savage was charged by the Dakota County Attorney’s Office in June of last year with officer misconduct, fifth-degree assault, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. He has pleaded not guilty.

Jury selection is set to start the morning of Tuesday, March 2. Opening arguments are expected to start later that afternoon and the trial will continue into Wednesday, March 3.

According to the criminal complaint:

While Ficken was on duty as a police officer, at about 7 a.m. June 10, he allegedly called his former girlfriend and when she didn’t answer, he drove to her house in Prior Lake. When Ficken arrived, he saw a vehicle he did not recognize and allegedly ran the license plate, without any known work-related reason to do so.

Ficken then allegedly went inside the house and attempted to find the 30-year-old woman, who was in a lower-level bedroom with the door locked. Ficken asked to be let into the bedroom, and the woman said, “No,” the complaint states.

Ficken then allegedly broke through the bedroom door while the woman attempted to hold it shut. While inside the bedroom, Ficken began to yell at the woman and a man who was inside the room with her, according to the complaint.

Ficken was then escorted out of the home by the woman and returned to duty. The man and woman then called 911, and Ficken was arrested by the Shakopee Police Department later that day to avoid a conflict of interest.

Following an internal investigation into the matter, Ficken was terminated from his position as a Prior Lake police officer on Sept. 21, 2009.

The Dakota County Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case to avoid a conflict of interest.

Trial Set to Begin for Officer Michael Ficken

A jury trial for officer misconduct allegations against former Prior Lake police officer Michael Alan Ficken is set to begin next week in Scott County District Court in Shakopee.
 
Ficken, 34, of Savage was charged by the Dakota County Attorney’s Office in June with officer misconduct, fifth-degree assault, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Jury selection is set to start Tuesday morning. Opening arguments are expected to start later that afternoon and the trial will continue into Wednesday.
 
According to the criminal complaint:
 
While Ficken was on duty as a police officer, at about 7 a.m. June 10, he allegedly called his former girlfriend, and when she didn’t answer her phone, he drove his squad car to her house. When Ficken arrived at the woman’s home, he saw a vehicle he did not recognize and allegedly ran the license plate, without any known work-related reason to do so.
 
Ficken then allegedly entered the home and attempted to make contact with the woman, who was in a lower-level bedroom with the door locked. Ficken asked to be let into the bedroom, and the woman said, “No,” the complaint states.
 
Ficken then allegedly broke through the bedroom door while the woman attempted to hold it shut. While inside the bedroom, Ficken began to yell at the woman and a man who was inside the room with her, according to the complaint.

Officer Michael Delmont Jr Charged with Having Sex on Duty

A Chisago County police officer was charged this week with misconduct for allegedly having on-duty sex and providing alcohol to a 19-year-old college student whom he may have met while serving as her high school resource officer.

An investigation continues into whether Officer Michael Joseph Delmont, Jr. was involved with the student before she turned 18 or whether he may have had inappropriate contact with other former students.

"In my 20-plus years of prosecution, I've never seen anything quite like this," said Isanti County Attorney Jeff Edblad, whose office is handling the case to avoid a conflict of interest. "What stands out to me is the allegations, if proven true, are very disturbing because it shows a police officer putting his own wants and needs ahead of public safety. He's putting his own gratuitous self-pleasure ahead of serving the constituents of his town."

Delmont, of Lino Lakes, a member of the 12-officer Lakes Area Police Department, is charged with police officer misconduct and furnishing liquor to a minor - both gross misdemeanors - and obstructing the legal process, a misdemeanor. He was arrested Thursday and released Friday without bail, under conditions that include staying away from the woman and surrendering all firearms.

Delmont was placed on paid administrative leave from his job, according to Lakes Area deputy chief Bill Schlumbohm.

Charges filed Thursday stem from a relationship Delmont allegedly had starting in 2007 with the woman, who is now 21 and a college student. According to the charges, the two had multiple sexual encounters while Delmont was on duty and after the student had drunk alcohol and had driven to meet him at Ki Chi Saga Park in Lindstrom during the spring of 2007.

Later that summer, Delmont provided her with alcohol and, though he was aware she had been drinking before meeting him, he allowed her to drive away, charges say.

Officer Todd Lappegaard Accused of Tasering Cooperative Teen

A Minneapolis police officer accused of Tasering a compliant suspect to the ground has been fired from the force, a source close to the department said.

Todd Lappegaard, who faces a federal lawsuit over the April 30, 2009, incident, sent an e-mail to many in the police department in the past several days in which he said he had been let go. He said in the e-mail that he was proud to serve with the city department, according to the source.

Jesse Garcia, police department spokesman, said he could not confirm the termination due to rules regarding personnel matters. Lappegaard, who was hired in 1993, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The lawsuit stems from an arrest that took place shortly before midnight in which Rolando Ruiz, 18, was suspected of damaging a police cruiser parked at the Second Precinct on Central Avenue. The arrest, recorded by a video camera on Lappegaard's cruiser, began with Ruiz standing in front of Lappegaard's car with his hands on the hood. Lappegaard then places a Taser on Ruiz's neck and stuns him.

"As plaintiff Ruiz slumped to the ground, Lappegaard held his knee on the plaintiff's back to prevent him from avoiding the electrical shock of the Taser device," the lawsuit reads. "Lappegaard held his free hand on the squad car hood to brace himself as he pinned Ruiz to the ground and continued shocking him."

Along with the civil rights violations, the suit lists nine causes of action. Among them it cites a 2002 incident in which Lappegaard was driving a squad car that made contact with a sport utility vehicle driven by a woman fleeing police. She later drove the SUV off the street, hitting and killing a Richfield man who was jogging.

Ruiz has sued for damages between $75,000 and $400,000 as well as punitive damages. A jury trial has been placed on the U.S. District Court schedule for 2012.

Former Deputy Richard Miller Charged with Sending E-Mail Threats

A former Blue Earth County sheriff’s deputy has been charged with a felony for an alleged e-mail threat he sent to other deputies in November.

The terroristic threats charge was filed Wednesday against Richard Glenn Miller, 36, of Mankato. Miller resigned from his job as a deputy in December after being placed on paid administrative leave Nov. 11.

That was the day Miller allegedly sent an e-mail, with the subject “Union Contract,” to 14 other deputies at 5:46 a.m. He was the only deputy on duty at the time, the criminal complaint said.

After discussing upcoming union negotiations, Miller allegedly ended the e-mail with, “We absolutely need to have this added to our contract and if we don’t I’m gonna bring a gun into our office and shoot this place and everyone to hell.” The e-mail allegedly ended with “MILLER” in all capital letters.

Miller was put on administrative leave later that day after the e-mail was shown to Lt. David Karge and Capt. Rich Murry. Miller allegedly told Karge and Murry, who went to his house to confront him, that the e-mail was a joke, and he ends all of his e-mails with a “bit of his sense of humor,” the complaint said. Miller’s squad car, M16 rifle and handgun were taken at that time.

All of the deputies who received the e-mail, as well as Karge and Murry, were interviewed by Sgt. Steve Collins of the Scott County Sheriff’s Department. Three of the deputies said they felt threatened by the e-mail and several said they felt “slightly alarmed,” Collins reported.

Others said they weren’t threatened but could understand how the e-mail could be perceived as a threat, the complaint said.

Miller said Wednesday that he never intended to harm or threaten anyone.

“It was an expression meant in a humorous way, and it was taken out of context,” Miller said. “It was a phrase that’s commonly used.

“If I would have known I was going to threaten someone with what I said, I most certainly wouldn’t have said it.”

Miller also said it might have been a mistake to make the comment in an e-mail because it’s more difficult to convey that a phrase is meant to be humorous. If he would have said it in person, the other deputies would have seen him smiling and understood it wasn’t meant to be a threat, he said.

“They were co-workers and friends,” Miller said. “It’s a real tight group of people. Whenever you’re dealing with union negotiations, you always try to lighten the mood.

“It’s really hurtful that someone would think I’m capable of something like that. I’ve spent the last 13 years of my life trying to help people. To be accused of something like that is really hurtful.”

After Miller’s resignation, Blue Earth County Chief Deputy Mike Maurer would not disclose why Miller had been placed on paid leave or the reason for his resignation. Maurer would only say there was an internal investigation and that the Scott County department had been asked to do a criminal investigation.

The investigation ended in early January and was turned over to the Brown County attorney’s office to decide if any criminal charges should be filed. Scott and Brown counties were asked to help to avoid any conflicts of interest, Maurer said.

Miller, who had been a Blue Earth County deputy since 1999, had been disciplined twice before by superiors, according to personnel records available to the public.

In 2005, he was suspended for 10 hours without pay for failing to complete two training courses. He also was suspended without pay for one work week in February 2002 after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated. In that incident, Miller also was accused of distracting a state trooper so he would be pulled over instead of an intoxicated friend who was driving another car.

UpDate On Officer Timothy Carson Charged with Bank Robbery

A Minneapolis police officer charged with bank robbery lived in the Center Point area as a child.

Timothy Edward Carson, 28, was charged Jan. 7 in federal court with robbing a bank in Apple Valley, Minn., and could be connected to up to a dozen Twin Cities robberies in late December and early January, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Center Point-Urbana Superintendent Alan Marshall confirmed Carson attended district schools for the second through ninth grades, before moving away. Efforts to contact Carson’s parents weren’t successful Monday.

Carson was charged after an Apple Valley officer stopped his car the morning of Jan. 6 because it lacked a front license plate. The traffic stop occurred about three miles from a bank that was robbed later that morning.

The officer released Carson after he showed his police identification, but he noticed Carson’s car near the bank while responding to the robbery report about an hour later. Carson was about an hour late for that day’s shift, which began minutes before the robbery.

A police detective and an FBI agent interviewed Carson that evening.

Carson at first denied involvement, but then admitted his role, leading them to clothing used in the robbery, discarded in a trash can outside police headquarters.

Carson began work as a Minneapolis officer in January 2007, according to the Star Tribune. He has been a member of the department’s SWAT unit for nearly two years.

After Carson’s arrest, Minneapolis police named him as a suspect in robberies at convenience stores, a pharmacy, a coffee shop, and at least one other bank in Minneapolis and its suburbs.
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Officer Bryan Platz Arrested for Drunk Driving

A police officer in Coon Rapids, MN, was suspended from his job following a suspected DWI arrest when he was off-duty.

The officer, 35-year-old Bryan Platz, was arrested after rear-ending another car around 10PM Friday night. There were no serious injuries in the accident. When local police noted another officer was involved, they asked the state patrol to handle the situation.

Upon arriving at the scene, state patrol officers believed alcohol may have been a factor in the fender-bender. Officer Platz agreed to provide a blood sample. Those results may take weeks to process, but he has been suspended from duty regardless.

In most cases involving public officials, the department will conduct an internal investigation to consider multiple factors. Those factors include the officer's history of disciplinary problems, whether the officer was in a patrol vehicle or on duty, and if the officer broke department policies in the accident.

Platz has been an officer with the Coon Rapids police force for nearly 7 years. He will be paid during his leave time. No internal investigation was pursued to determine if the officer should be suspended; the action seemed to occur very quickly.
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Charges Will Not be Dismissed Against Officer Vanessa Mason

A motion to dismiss the remaining criminal charges against a Rochester police officer accused of misconduct has been denied.

Judge Joseph Chase issued his findings in an order dated Tuesday in the case of Vanessa Mason. She now returns to court Feb. 4 for a plea hearing.

Mason was put on administrative leave in April and charged with three felonies and two gross misdemeanors. She was accused of tipping off drug dealers about narcotics investigations and taking money to help pick up and deliver drugs.

Paul Beaumaster, Rice County attorney, is serving as special prosecutor for Olmsted County to avoid a conflict of interest because Mason, 32, is a city employee. At a hearing in October, Beaumaster dismissed the two felony bribery charges against Mason. A key witness had recanted his testimony, but Beaumaster would not say if that was behind the dismissal.

The remaining felony alleges Mason gave a warning about an impending narcotics search warrant. The two gross misdemeanor charges allege misconduct by a public employee. She denies all the allegations.

Her attorney, Fred Bruno of Minneapolis, said prosecutors can't prove the charges and asked that the charges be dismissed.

Chase heard the attorneys' arguments in October and gave them time to submit written briefs.

In his opinion issued Tuesday, Chase called it an interesting case involving unique circumstances and questions of law.

The remaining felony count alleges that Mason called an acquaintance, Terrance Burkhalter, a drug dealer, about a planned drug raid at the home of Bryan Piens.

Bruno contends there's no proof she warned the people at Piens' house. He said they were still in the house when the search was conducted. He said the alleged tip-off was to Burkhalter's phone and no connection has been shown or suggested between Burkhalter and Piens.

Burkhalter has recanted a statement he allegedly gave police about letting someone know the police were coming. Chase said Burkhalter's credibility is a question for jurors.

The gross misdemeanor counts allege misconduct on Mason's part, such as providing restricted information and doing warrant checks for Burkhalter and another drug dealer, Jerell Moore, who now is in federal prison.

Chase denied the motions to dismiss those charges.
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Officer Jessica Phillips Charged with Harassment

A Saint Paul police officer is accused repeatedly texting, emailing and leaving voicemails for another woman about sleeping with that's woman's ex-husband.

Officer Jessica Phillips was charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of harassment and one gross misdemeanor count of unauthorized computer access.

According to the criminal complaint, Phillips left a voicemail message that said "We had sex probably 10 times this month and I have actual pictures... if you would like to see them."

Phillips allegedly contacted the woman over 100 times.

The Saint Paul City Attorney has asked the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office to review the case to avoid a conflict of interest.

Officer Phillips is on paid administrative leave.

Corrections Officer Michael Laveau Charged with DWI

A Carlton County corrections officer and former sheriff’s deputy was charged Monday in Carlton County Court in connection with a one-vehicle rollover near the Scanlon Park and Ride that injured his passenger last fall.

Cloquet resident Michael John Laveau, 29, faces charges of gross misdemeanor criminal vehicular operation, misdemeanor fourth degree driving while intoxicated and misdemeanor fourth degree driving while intoxicated - .08 or more within two hours.

The criminal complaint and summons was filed in Carlton County Court on Jan. 11 by an assistant Pine County attorney, who received the case after Carlton County Attorney Thomas Pertler cited conflict of interest concerns. It was unclear Monday when Laveau would make an initial appearance and whether he would appear in Carlton County Court or Pine County Court in the case.

According to court documents, at 1:25 a.m. Oct. 18, Laveau was driving a full-size Dodge pickup truck north on Highway 45 near the Scanlon Park and Ride by Interstate 35 when he swerved to miss “some type of animal,” that had run out in front of him. Laveau then lost control of the truck and it rolled, coming to a stop on the shoulder of the road on the driver’s side.

Laveau and passenger Kaira Lee Wedin, 28, were not reportedly wearing seat belts and she was thrown from the vehicle.

Wedin was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital with injuries to her neck and head. Officers reportedly smelled alcohol coming from Wedin and they observed lacerations and redness on her face and dried blood in her hair. She was treated and released. Officers at the scene also reported a strong odor of alcohol coming from Laveau and that his eyes were watery and glazed over.

Laveau was taken by ambulance to Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet where he was also treated for non-life threatening injuries and a blood alcohol test was administered. Laveau’s blood alcohol concentration was found to be .12 more than an hour after the accident, according to a toxicology report from the State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Minnesota law states the legal limit for driving while intoxicated is .08.

Carlton County Sheriff Kelly Lake said Laveau has been a Carlton County Sheriff’s Office employee since June 2004. Although hired as a corrections officer, Laveau is a licensed deputy and was on patrol for the county from March 2006 until July 2008 while another deputy was on military deployment, she said.

After taking sick leave due to injuries, Lake said in November that Laveau has been back to work in the jail.

SWAT Officer Timothy Carson Arrested for Bank Robbery

A Minneapolis police SWAT team member was arrested Thursday in a string of robberies in suburban Dakota County.

Officer Timothy Carson, 28, a Minneapolis police SWAT team member has been charged with bank robbery. The officer, from Rosemount, Minn. was ordered held without bail after a federal court hearing Thursday. Carson is accused of robbing a Wells Fargo bank in suburban Apple Valley on Wednesday, when $4,580 was taken.

Police Chief Tim Dolan said Thursday that officers in his department helped break the case, and the FBI was investigating.

Dolan told reporters that he was shocked by the arrest, and that his department spends a tremendous amount of resources trying to recruit the best people to the force.

"We do have a few that fail," he conceded. "It does tarnish the badge, the badge of the Minneapolis Police Department."

The officer was not immediately charged and authorities did not immediately say which specific robberies they believe he committed. FBI spokesman E.K. Wilson said he couldn't comment.

Officer Timothy Edward Carson was initially booked into the Dakota County Jail, but officials said he was no longer there late Thursday morning and is the custody of the U.S. Marshal's Service.

The 28-year-old officer had been assigned to the 3rd Precinct of south Minneapolis.

"It's disgusting," said John Delmonico, president of the Minneapolis Police Federation. "I don't even know what words I could use ... The actions of this guy have a bad reflection on every Minneapolis cop today. For all the cops who go out and do a good job every day, it's pathetic."

Delmonico said the union will do nothing to help the accused officer.

"Whatever they do to this guy, in my opinion, won't be enough," he said.

Probationary Officer Paul Kezar Arrested for Selling Stolen Property

A Thief River Falls probationary police officer allegedly sold stolen property on Wednesday.

Probationary officer Paul James Kezar, 37, was arrested early Wednesday morning. Authorities are investigating a report of a stolen lawnmower tracked down its current owner on Tuesday, who told investigators it had been purchased from Kezar.

Investigators believe Officer Kezar was involved in the theft and sale of several large ticket items including boats, trailers and all-terrain vehicles.

Kezar has worked as a probationary officer with the Thief River Falls Police Department since January 5, 2009.

Minneapolis Police Accused of Police Brutality

New video released Thursday shows a man surrendering only to be beaten by Minneapolis Police—the second video of alleged police brutality in a month.

The last video of alleged police misconduct released two weeks ago led Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan to order all of his 800 officers to watch a video in which six officers punched and kicked Derryl Jenkins, 42, during a traffic stop.

In this new video—which is now at the center of a lawsuit and internal affairs investigation—a veteran Minneapolis officer is seen kicking a man suspected of breaking into cars in a downtown parking ramp.

It starts when a car driven by Brian McCarthy rams a squad car trying to block his escape. McCarthy flees but his passenger, Nicolas Kastner, gets out and lays down—apparently giving up after being shot by police.

Officer Sherry Appledorn, a 16-year department veteran, thought her rookie partner was dead, according to people who know her. The video shows Appledorn standing over Kastner. She then begins to stomp on him approximately four times before kicking him about nine times.

Officer Joe Will, with 14 years on the force, sits on Kastner and six seconds later, Appledorn kicks him again.

"That wild movement of [Kastner's] legs is the result of getting shocked with 50,000 volts," said Kastern's attorney Fred Goetz.

Appledorn is seen in the video tasering him twice.

"The tasing, like the kicks, were nothing but torture. Nothing but gratuitous acts of violence," Goetz said.

He says they've filed a federal lawsuit alleging police brutality, excessive force, and a cover-up - especially by Appledorn.

"What happened is just an unjustified, unprovoked, unreasonable police beating," Goetz said.

"The passenger failed to get on the ground. I grabbed him and threw him on the ground face first. [He] started crawling under the squad in an attempt to get away. The suspect refused to place his arms behind his back," Appledorn said in a video statement three days later.

"She deliberately and blatantly lied to justify her unreasonable use of force," said Goetz.

Chief Dolan says his department referred this case to the St. Paul City Attorney for possible prosecution.

Both Officers Appledorn and Wills were not charged. Both McCarthy and Kaster have prior criminal theft and damage to property convictions. McCarthy had a warrant out for his arrest for violating his probation at the time of the incident.

Dolan says he takes any allegations of misconduct "extremely seriously" and says as chief, he has raised the bar for expectations around officer conduct and accountability.

The department says the officers cannot comment.
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http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/Minneapolis_Police_Chief_Dolan_Interview_Sept_4_2009

Derryl Jenkins Beat by Officers for Speeding

The police chief in Minneapolis says he will ask the FBI to investigate the beating of a man who was stopped for speeding by officers.

The beating was captured on a squad car dash camera and shows six officers punching and kicking the 42-year-old man. Derryl Jenkins was stopped Feb. 19 for allegedly going 15 miles per hour over the speed limit.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Chief Tim Dolan says "the public will want an investigation" into the incident.

Officers said in their police reports that Jenkins resisted arrest so they had to subdue him before placing him in two sets of handcuffs.

Jenkins ended up at North Memorial Medical Center where he had seven stitches above his eye. He was charged with assault and with refusing to submit to alcohol tests, but those charges have been dropped.

Officer Anthony Miller Sentenced to Prison for Child Porn

A police officer, who lives in western Wisconsin, is sentenced to serve time in prison for possessing child pornography.

Monday, Anthony T. Miller was sentenced to five years in prison. He lives in New Richmond, but works in Minnesota. He has been a police officer with the city of Hastings for 11 years.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice says Miller admitted downloading and trading child pornography for the past two years.

Press Release:

NEW RICHMOND - Anthony Miller, who told investigators he was a Hastings Minnesota police officer, was sentenced by Judge Vlack today on two counts of Possession of Child Pornography. He received 14 years on the first count with 4 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision. On count two Miller received 15 years with 5 years of initial confinement and 10 years extended supervision to be served concurrently.

In addition, Miller must provide a DNA sample, register as a Sex Offender, not use a computer or access the Internet without prior written approval, not possess pornography and may not have contact with any child under 18 without prior written approval.

Miller was originally charged on December 18, 2008 with Possession of Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of a Child.

"Sadly, a man sworn to protect society has committed a crime victimizing our most vulnerable," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, whose office investigated the crime with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the New Richmond Police Department. "Today's sentence sends a strong message: download and distribute child pornography and you will go to prison for a long time."

Officer Isaac Rinehart Arrested for Domestic Violence

A St. Paul police officer is on desk duty after accusations he beat his wife. Officer Isaac Rinehart was arrested Monday night after turning himself in at the Maplewood Police Department.

Around 10 p.m., his wife walked into the Maplewood Police Department. Maplewood Chief Dave Thomalla saw her and noticed something was wrong.

"She had facial injuries. She had some bleeding from the nose and some swelling in her face," he said. "Obviously, she'd been assaulted."

She told him she'd been hurt by her husband at the home where he was staying. She said they'd been in a fight and she'd walked a mile to the police station. Maplewood officers took her to the hospital.

While she was being checked out, Thomalla called St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington to tell him what happened. Harrington called Rinehart's commander, who then called Rinehart. Within the hour, Rinehart had turned himself in.

Thomalla said while all domestic cases are different, his officers did not handle this one differently because Rinehart is a police officer. He said officers have to be careful when dealing with other officers because they are often armed.

"Unfortunately, domestic assaults and domestic violence happen frequently in our society. The suspects involved are in every occupation you can imagine. In this particular case it was a police officer," Thomalla said. "We're going to deal with this case the same way we would with every other one."

Thomalla said Rinehart didn't give police a statement and requested his lawyer. In his 15 years with St. Paul Police, Rinehart's personnel file shows he's been commended 16 times. He's also been reprimanded four times. One was a 4-day suspension in 1996 for conduct unbecoming of a police officer. Privacy rules prevent police from releasing any more details on that suspension.

Rinehart is also under investigation after his police canine bit a child earlier this year.

"This is a difficult situation. Certainly if these allegations prove true, this is very serious," said St. Paul Police Sgt. Paul Schnell.

Right now, Rinehart has been taken out of his canine unit and placed on administrative duty. Once the criminal case is closed, St. Paul Police will begin their own investigation.

"As a department, we want to take this stuff seriously. At the same time, if it's one of our officers or any member of the public, there is a due process route that is provided to all people that are accused," Schnell said.

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Other Information: http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/crime/St_Paul_Officer_Investigated_for_Domestic_Abuse_june_23_2009