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City of Minneapolis approves police reform consent decree with U.S. Department of Justice • Minnesota Reformer

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City of Minneapolis approves police reform consent decree with U.S. Department of Justice • Minnesota Reformer


The U.S. Department of Justice and the city of Minneapolis released the details of an agreement mandating reforms of the Minneapolis Police Department on Monday afternoon. 

The agreement — called a consent decree — is the culmination of the federal government’s investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department following the police killing of George Floyd that found a pattern of racial discrimination

The DOJ investigation found that the department violated residents’ Constitutional rights by discriminating against Black and Native American residents and routinely using “excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of Tasers.”

The consent decree adds onto the reforms laid out in a similar agreement between the police department and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. 

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The federal consent decree prohibits, among other things; using handcuffs on children under the age of 14; the use of neck restraints and choke holds; the use of some tear gases, including Mace; and the initiation of foot chases just because a person runs away when they see an officer. 

Misconduct investigations must be completed within 180 days, with exceptions granted only in extenuating circumstances. And, investigations will continue even if an officer retires or resigns from the department. A 2020 Reformer investigation found that the average misconduct investigation that resulted in discipline took 539 days to resolve. 

Officers under investigation for misconduct, or who are suspended from the force, can’t work off-duty jobs.

The agreement requires the police department to rewrite its use-of-force policies; create a “force review board” and a force investigation team to evaluate and investigate whether a use of force was appropriate; and take certain steps to protect the rights of journalists to cover protests.

It also requires the police to stop discriminating against residents based on their race.

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Both the state and federal agreements will use the same third-party evaluator, Effective Law Enforcement for All, to make sure the police department implements the agreed-upon policies. 

The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved the consent decree Monday afternoon after an all-day meeting with the City Attorney Kristyn Anderson. One council member, Michael Rainville, inadvertently missed the vote.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys filed the consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, asking U.S. District Court Judge Ann D. Montgomery to issue an order enacting the agreement. Once the judge signs off, the consent decree will take effect. 

Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the DOJ, didn’t say whether the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump could cancel the agreement.

In Trump’s first term, then-Attorney General Jeff Session canceled negotiations over a proposed consent decree regarding policing in Chicago. (The state of Illinois took over the federal government’s role in negotiating and enforcing the reforms.)

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“I can’t speak to the future, but the Justice Department has always been focused on ensuring compliance with the Constitution, ensuring compliance with federal law, and ensuring public safety,” Clarke said when asked for the third time whether the Trump administration could choose to negate the agreement.

In a statement released after the press conference, City of Minneapolis spokesperson Jess Olstad said once the judge approves the decree, it can only be terminated by the court.



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Minneapolis, MN

US Bank executive Terry Dolan believed to be dead following plane crash near Minneapolis

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US Bank executive Terry Dolan believed to be dead following plane crash near Minneapolis


A top US Bank executive is believed to be dead after a small plane registered in his name crashed into a home near Minneapolis on Saturday.

The unidentified pilot was killed in the crash and no other injuries were reported, authorities said.

The Hennepein County Medical Examiner hasn’t confirmed the identity of the sole victim, but many believe that US Bancorp’s Vice Chair and Chief Administration Officer Terry Dolan was killed in the crash — including his coworkers.

Terry Dolan, 63, is presumed dead following a plane crash in Brooklyn Park, Minn. U.S. Bank

“We are aware that the plane that crashed in Brooklyn Park on Saturday afternoon was registered to Terry Dolan, our vice chair and chief administration officer. At this time, the medical examiner’s office has not been able to confirm whether he was on board, but we believe he was,” US Bancorp wrote in a statement.

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“Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and friends, and anyone who may have been affected by yesterday’s tragic incident.”

The plane crashed into a house shortly after noon on Saturday. Mike Deyo via Storyful

Dolan, 63, became the company’s vice chair in 2023. He was in charge of marketing and analytics at the company, among other operations.

Beyond Bancorp, he was an active philanthropist and served on the Killebrew Thompson Memorial’s board of directors as well as at top cultural institutes like the Minnesota Opera and Artspace. He also served on the boards of Catholic Charities and The Minneapolis Foundation.

On Saturday, Dolan’s plane crashed into a house around noon in Brooklyn Park, Minn. The home burst into flames, but miraculously, no one inside the house was injured.

No injuries were reported by residents of the home, and Dolan was the sole passenger aboard the plane when it crashed. Mike Deyo via Storyful

The plane originally departed from the Des Moines International Airport in Iowa that morning. It was just 10 minutes away from landing at the Anoka County-Blaine Airport in Minneapolis when it crashed into the suburban neighborhood.

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The medical examiner’s office is expected to release the identity of the killed pilot once the investigation is concluded. Crews started early on Sunday recovering the wreckage and documenting the accident site.

A preliminary report could take up to two weeks to finalize, Timothy Sorensen, a National Transportation Safety Board senior aviation accident investigator, told the Minnesota Star Tribune.



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Minneapolis, MN

University of Minnesota says graduate student was detained by ICE

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University of Minnesota says graduate student was detained by ICE


A graduate student at the University of Minnesota was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Thursday at an off-campus residence, the school said in a statement.

Friday’s statement — signed by President Rebecca Cunningham, Vice President for Student Affairs Calvin Phillips and Vice President for Equity and Diversity Mercedes Ramírez Fernández — called the situation “deeply concerning.” The international student is enrolled in the Twin Cities campus, the school said.

The university said it did not have further information or more details on the situation. It also said it had no prior knowledge that the detention was happening and did not share any information with federal agents beforehand.

The school did not release the student’s name. The student’s nationality and visa type and status were unavailable.

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Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security responded to requests for comment Saturday evening.

“It is important to note that our campus departments of public safety, including UMPD, do not enforce federal immigration laws, and our officers do not inquire about an individual’s immigration status,” the UMN statement said. “Their focus remains on public safety, fostering trust and maintaining strong relationships across the University community.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Friday that he had been in touch with DHS to get information, and added that he would share more when he could.

“The University of Minnesota is an international destination for education and research. We have any number of students studying here with visas, and we need answers,” Walz said on X.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the student’s detainment “deeply troubling” in a post on X.

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“Educational environments must be places where all students can focus on learning and growing without fear,” Frey said.

This latest arrest comes on the heels of other arrests of international students at American universities.

Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University who led student protests at the New York school last spring, was arrested by federal immigration agents earlier this month and was told his student visa was being revoked.

Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was accused of supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. A lawyer of his rejected the claim, saying there is no evidence Khalil provided support of any kind to a terrorist organization.

Khalil is being held in federal custody in Louisiana after U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman ruled he cannot be deported “to preserve the court’s jurisdiction” as it weighs a filing challenging his arrest and planned deportation.

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Rumeysa Ozturk, a graduate student at Tufts University who is a Turkish national in the U.S. on what her attorney said was a valid student visa, was similarly arrested by federal immigration agents Tuesday and is also being held in Louisiana. Her arrest was caught on video, with Ozturk’s lawyer saying she was on her way to meet friends for iftar, a meal that breaks the day-time fast observed by Muslims during Ramadan, when she was arrested.

A court order Friday blocked Ozturk’s deportation while U.S. District Judge Denise Casper determines whether she has jurisdiction over the case.

An Iranian doctoral student at the University of Alabama, Alireza Doroudi, and a Russian medical researcher at Harvard University, Kseniia Petrova, were both detained by immigration agents this week as well.



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Minneapolis, MN

Small plane crashes in Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park

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Small plane crashes in Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park


A small plane traveling from Iowa to Minnesota crashed Saturday in a residential area of a Minneapolis suburb, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Officials did not immediately provide information about possible deaths or injuries related to the crash in Brooklyn Park.



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