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Public can meet finalists to oversee Minneapolis Police court-ordered reforms next week

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Public can meet finalists to oversee Minneapolis Police court-ordered reforms next week


Public can meet finalists to oversee MPD court ordered reforms next week

The public next week will have the chance to meet the three finalists who could oversee the court-mandated reforms within the Minneapolis Police Department. The state court-enforceable agreement calls for an independent monitor, which will also ultimately oversee the federal consent decree as well.

The finalists are Effective Law Enforcement For All, Jensen Hughes and Relman Colfax, according to the City of Minneapolis.

“It is about accountability but it’s accountability through transparency,” said David Douglass, the president of Effective Law Enforcement For All, about the role of the independent evaluator.

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The non-profit he co-founded has offices in Silver Spring, Maryland and New Orleans, Louisiana. His team of 10 to 12 people would bring a unique perspective to overseeing the required reforms within MPD, according to Douglass.

“The experience of having worked with communities to implement consent decrees but we also have a team that knows the challenges of running a department and implementing a consent decree,” he explained.

Douglass is currently the deputy monitor overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice consent decree with the New Orleans Police Department. Retired Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, who led both Baltimore and New Orleans through their respective mandated reforms, is also on his team.

“I have the benefit of leading two departments through a consent decree,” he said. “I think the experience I bring is helping the department, helping the chief navigate that and avoiding the pitfalls that I made along the way and that others made along the way so that we can help Minneapolis push forward.”

Harrison explained that includes helping the department navigate the competing and conflicting interests of the multiple stakeholders involved.

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“It takes strong leadership, it takes patience, it takes great communication skills, and it just takes perseverance because there are many days it will be tough, officers will feel discouraged,” he said. “Officers will hear, ‘We can’t do our jobs anymore’ and that’s not true. It’s about doing it in a best-practice way.”

He added, “I just want to provide the assistance that I can from the lessons I have learned having sat on the opposite side of monitors.”

Jensen Hughes, which declined to comment, is another finalist. The law enforcement consulting firm has offices around the world, including Minnetonka. In a press release from the City of Minneapolis, it is “committed to improving the performance of policing to ensure the law enforcement agency practices are constitutional, procedurally just and delivered in a manner that builds trust and confidence in the communities they serve.”

The third finalist, Relman Colfax, is a civil rights law firm based in Washington D.C. Its team includes former Minneapolis Police Officer and Former Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mike Davis, who “has more familiarity with the MPD than perhaps any other prospective monitor by virtue of having been in the department for 16 years”, according to a fact sheet provided by the firm. The firm also touts Metro State University Police Practices Professor Dr. Raj Sethuraju and Angie Wolf, who’s overseeing the Department of Justice consent decree in Los Angeles County, as members of the team.

According to the fact sheet, if selected, the firm will establish measurable benchmarks for compliance with an emphasis on assessing outcomes in the community and incorporating residents’ feedback. The team will also assist MPD with technical assistance, as required by the order, and incorporate input from officers at all levels.

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Harrison and Douglass shared similar goals.

“We will hold the department accountable by reporting out to the community where they say they are in compliance and then where we think they are in compliance and hopefully those things will align,” said Harrison.

The state court-enforceable order requires the independent evaluation team to support the city and MPD as they make the required changes, track the progress of the implementation and provide regular reports. After four years, the independent evaluator will provide a “comprehensive termination evaluation,” which will determine whether the agreement ends or continues.

Douglass said the timeline “is not undoable but would be quick.”

He added, “It’s also impressive that Minneapolis has laid a lot of groundwork. There’s been community meetings, they’re starting policy review so it will be interesting to see where they are once the process starts but they’ve done a lot of groundwork that should really facilitate implementation of the agreement.”

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Both he and Harrison told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS collaboration will be key to the success of reforms.

“Builds relationships that weren’t built, improves on good relationships, and repairs relationships that were broken, if we can do our jobs that accomplish those three things, I think that’s what a consent decree is designed to do,” said Harrison.

Douglass added, “When all parties work together in good faith, it can truly result in a win-win situation, that’s our firm belief.”

The community will be able to meet the three finalists next week at two meetings. The first will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs (Cowles Auditorium). The second meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10 at Plymouth Congregational Church.

Once the city and state select an evaluator, the city council will vote on the contract, and work is expected to start by March 9.

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Minneapolis, MN

Truck driver dead after crash sends Metro Transit bus into home in south Minneapolis

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Truck driver dead after crash sends Metro Transit bus into home in south Minneapolis


It happened early Monday morning in Minneapolis.

One person is dead and another is hospitalized after an early-morning crash in south Minneapolis on Monday that sent a Metro Transit bus into a home.

It happened at around 4 a.m. at 10th Avenue South and East 38th Street, just a few blocks east of George Floyd Square.

A spokesperson for Metro Transit police tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that a truck was speeding down 10th Avenue when it hit the back of the bus, ripping a tire off the bus and sending it into the front of a home.

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The driver of that truck died, according to Metro Transit police, while the driver of the bus was taken to a hospital but is expected to be OK.

Officials say nobody besides the driver was on the bus at the time, and the home the bus hit was also empty at the time.

Investigators are still at the scene, working to clean up all of the debris and determine exactly what led up to the crash.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is at the scene and working to learn more. Download the KSTP app and follow 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on social media for the latest updates.

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Atlanta Dream survive thriller in Minneapolis, edge Lynx 91-90 to open 2026 WNBA season

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Atlanta Dream survive thriller in Minneapolis, edge Lynx 91-90 to open 2026 WNBA season


The Atlanta Dream trailed by double digits, fought back twice and still needed Angel Reese’s game-saving block in the final seconds to survive. 

Atlanta opened the 2026 WNBA season with a 91-90 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night, powered by Allisha Gray’s 24 points, Te-Hina Paopao’s pull-up jumper with 12 seconds remaining, and a performance that left little doubt about what this team intends to do this season.

Reese’s block on Emese Hof’s layup attempt in the closing seconds sealed one of the most dramatic opening-night wins before 10,821 fans at Target Center.

When Minnesota pushed its advantage to 13 points in the second quarter and the Dream looked like they were in serious trouble, Allisha Gray took over. The veteran guard finished with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-18 shooting, going a near-perfect 9-of-11 from the free throw line to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

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Gray’s ability to get to the line and convert kept Atlanta within striking distance throughout a game that could have spiraled out of control multiple times. She scored 11 points in the third quarter alone as the Dream chipped away at Minnesota’s lead.

Rhyne Howard was equally important on both ends, finishing with 15 points, five assists and three steals. Jordin Canada ran the offense efficiently with 12 points and six assists, and Paopao added six points and four assists in a composed performance off the bench.

With Atlanta trailing 85-87 and the clock winding down, Naz Hillmon stepped back and drained a 22-foot three-pointer with 2:44 left to tie the game and silence the fans in the Target Center. It was the shot of the night, and arguably the play that won Atlanta the game.

Hillmon finished with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-10 from the field, adding seven rebounds in 33 minutes. She was the Dream’s most reliable scorer off the bench and delivered her best basketball when Atlanta needed it most.

Rookie Madina Okot also impressed in her WNBA debut, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds in just 10 minutes, showing the poise and physicality that earned her a roster spot out of training camp.

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Angel Reese’s first game in a Dream uniform was complicated. She shot 4-of-11 from the field, committed five turnovers and picked up a first-quarter technical foul that gifted Minnesota a free point. At one point in the first half, she missed three consecutive shots on the same possession.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MAY 09: Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream blocks a shot attempt by Emese Hof #25 of the Minnesota Lynx during the fourth quarter at Target Center on May 09, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

Ellen Schmidt / Getty Images


But Reese also grabbed 14 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass, blocked three shots, came up with two steals, and made the most important play of the game when it mattered most. Her block on Hof’s layup in the final seconds was the kind of athletic, instinctive play that changes games and defines seasons.

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That is the player Atlanta acquired this offseason. On opening night, in the most pressure-packed moment of the game, she showed exactly why.

Minnesota had every opportunity to win this game and couldn’t finish it. Olivia Miles finished with 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting and eight assists to go along with eight free throws made. Kayla McBride scored 20 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:11 left that looked like it might be the dagger.

Courtney Williams added 14 points and six assists, and the Lynx shot 50 percent from the field, a number that should have been good enough to win.

But 15 turnovers and an inability to execute in the game’s final minute proved too costly. Minnesota had chances to put Atlanta away in the fourth quarter and couldn’t. The Dream made them pay every time.

Atlanta continues its opening road trip Tuesday against the Dallas Wings before returning home for the May 17 opener against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena. Minnesota hosts Atlanta again on May 27.

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Woman dead after argument leads to shooting in Minneapolis

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Woman dead after argument leads to shooting in Minneapolis


A shooting in south Minneapolis left a woman dead Saturday night. 

Fatal shooting on Pillsbury Avenue South

What we know:

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According to Minneapolis police, officers responded to a report of gunfire near Pillsbury Avenue South and West 25th Street around 5:30 p.m. 

A woman was found at the scene with life-threatening gunshot wounds. She was taken to the hospital where she later died. 

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Police believe that an argument inside an apartment led to gunfire. 

The suspected shooter fled the scene before police responded. 

What we don’t know:

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Police did not say what led up to the shooting or if they made any arrests. 

The woman has not yet been identified. 

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What you can do:

Anyone with information on the shooting can call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or click here to submit a tip. 

The Source: A press release from the Minneapolis Police Department. 

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