Minnesota
Deadly lawmaker ambush in Minnesota raises fears about fake police officers knocking on doors
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Vance Boelter left the state of Minnesota in fear after he allegedly posed as a police officer and carried out the shootings of two state lawmakers, killing one and her husband, at their homes last week.
But what can you do to verify that the person who knocks on your door or pulls you over while you’re in your vehicle is a law enforcement officer?
Mark Bruley, chief of police in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where Boelter allegedly shot and killed Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, told reporters at a press conference earlier this week that there’s one thing you can do that’s “never wrong.”
“You always can call 911 and verify if the person at your door is a police officer,” Bruley said. “If they are working police officer, they will be connected to a dispatch center that can validate that. So the first thing I would do is, if you’re concerned about it, is call 911. Obviously, there’s a lot of different uniforms, and it’s never wrong to do that.”
WHAT MOTIVATED SUSPECT IN MINNESOTA LAWMAKER SHOOTING IS UNCLEAR, SO ARE HIS POLITICS
A surveillance photo released by authorities shows a masked suspect wearing police-like tactical gear and carrying a flashlight as officials race to find Vance Boelter, the suspected gunman in the shooting of two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota on Saturday. (Minnesota Department of Public Safety)
Police officers typically wear a visible badge with their identification number and name on their uniform. They often also carry agency-issued photo identification that can include their name, rank and agency information.
Fox News Digital spoke with Brian Higgins, founder of Group 77 and former Chief of Police of Bergen County, N.J., to learn more about what citizens can do in cases where they feel the need to verify that who they’re speaking to is a law enforcement officer.
Higgins said that most verification measures, such as requesting the officer’s photo identification, require the citizen to open the door, at which point it would be too late if the individual is an impersonator.
Police officers wear uniforms and badges to identify themselves to citizens. (kali9 via Getty Images)
“If you’re not sure, don’t open the door,” Higgins said, adding that citizens can stand to the side of their door and speak to officers through the door while calling 911 or the local police department to confirm that an officer was sent to their home.
Higgins said that knowing what police uniforms look like and, if you live in a town with a smaller police force, being familiar with its members helps with verifying.
“If you see an officer not in uniform, not someone you recognize,” Higgins said, “it’s prudent to call police and ask if this person is a police officer.”
Not all situations, however, are the same.
“It’s more difficult when on the road and a police officer pulls you over,” Higgins said of verification during traffic stops.
There are steps you can take to verify a police officer is who he says he is if one knocks on your door or pulls you over. (RyanJLane via Getty Images)
In these situations, Higgins said it’s important to know what law enforcement vehicles look like, adding that sometimes real law enforcement cars can be unmarked.
MINNESOTA POLICE PRAISED FOR FOILING LAWMAKER SHOOTING SUSPECT’S PLAN
Higgins said officers usually call in traffic violations to dispatch, so drivers can still call 911 or the local police to verify that an officer performing their duties initiated the stop.
Higgins advised citizens to always be aware of their surroundings and to pull over in public places, if possible.
If unable to immediately pull over in a public place, Higgins said drivers can lower their window just enough, keep their car in drive and ask the officer if it’s possible to drive to another place that is safer or more public.
Higgins said that police officers understand that citizens may be uncertain or nervous and ask for verification.
“If their answer is anything other than professional, it should raise a concern,” Higgins said. That is, if the citizen didn’t do anything obviously illegal like run a red light, he added as a caveat.
In the case in Minnesota, Boelter allegedly impersonated a police officer, wearing a flesh-colored mask, a black tactical vest and carrying a flashlight before shooting and killing state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their respective homes.
Boelter also drove a black SUV equipped with police-style lights and a fake license plate that said “POLICE,” according to a court affidavit.
Video footage from Hoffman’s home shows a masked Boelter at the front door wearing the black tactical vest and holding a flashlight, according to the affidavit. Boelter then allegedly knocked on their door and shouted repeatedly, “This is the police. Open the door.”
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The Hoffmans answered the door but, since Boelter was shining the flashlight in their eyes, realized too late that Boelter was not a real police officer, the affidavit said.
ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management and
Gov. Tim Walz
recently announced the signing of a cannabis cooperative agreement with
Red Lake Nation.
According to a release, the agreement outlines how the state of Minnesota and Red Lake Nation will protect the public health, safety and well-being of all Minnesotans regarding adult-use cannabis and supports Red Lake Nation’s tribal sovereignty, cultural identity and heritage.
“This partnership opens a new outlet for state-licensed cannabis businesses to access and sell legal cannabis and honors the independence of the members of the Red Lake Band,” OCM Executive Director Eric Taubel said in the release. “We look forward to their cooperation in bringing more cannabis supply to the state and seeing their cannabis operations develop and thrive while respecting the Red Lake Band’s autonomy.”
In Minnesota’s cannabis law, the legislature directed Walz to negotiate intergovernmental agreements with tribal nations sharing territory with Minnesota to strengthen public health and safety, secure an equitable and well-regulated cannabis market, and provide financial benefits to both the state and tribal nations.
Red Lake’s NativeCare dispensary
was the first in the state to sell legal, adult-use cannabis after the law legalizing cannabis took effect in August 2023. With this agreement in place, Red Lake is able to collaborate with state-licensed cannabis businesses and create partnerships.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to produce the highest quality cannabis products that are free of all toxins and impurities. Consistent testing has verified that we have reached our goal,” Red Lake Nation Chair Darrell Seki Sr. said in the release. “Now that our cooperative agreement with the state has been finalized, we are looking forward to sharing our top-shelf products with the Minnesota market.”
Compact negotiations continue between the state and tribal nations sharing territory with the state of Minnesota. To date, the state has signed compacts with White Earth Nation, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Prairie Island Indian Community, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
The state expects to announce additional tribal-state cannabis agreements soon.
Copies of signed, executed tribal-state cannabis compacts and cooperative agreements can be found on
OCM’s website.
The former NFL sideline reporter has met with top Republican committees as she weighs a 2026 bid and a rare GOP pickup attempt in Minnesota.
Michele Tafoya, the former NFL sideline reporter turned political analyst, is considering a run for the United States Senate in her current home state of Minnesota, OutKick has learned. Sources familiar with the situation say she is expected to make a final decision in early 2026.
Tafoya met with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Senate Leadership Fund, and other stakeholders in Washington, D.C. last week. The NRSC has been recruiting her to run for the Senate race in Minnesota, where the Democratic primary has pitted progressive favorite Peggy Flanagan against Chuck Schumer-backed Angie Craig.
Tafoya gave up her NBC career so she could speak more openly about her conservative political beliefs. The breaking point for Tafoya at the media giant came in December 2021 when she appeared on “The View” and served as the conservative panelist. The rest of the cast on the show supported Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest, and his assertion that the NFL resembled the slave trade, while Tafoya raised some important counterpoints.
“I’ve been covering the NFL for 25 years,” Tafoya said at the time. “Nobody forces these guys to play. I thought comparing it to the slave trade was a little rough. These guys enter willingly, they are the most well cared for people. Yes, they play a hard sport. And every one of them — black, white, Latino, whoever’s playing the sport — will tell you how much they love it, and they’re willing to do it, and they make a damn good living.”
Former NFL reporter Michele Tafoya is weighing a Minnesota U.S. Senate bid after meetings with GOP groups, with a final decision expected early next year.
(Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images)
Tafoya nnounced in February 2022 that she wanted to pursue other career opportunities. Shortly after, she became the co-chair for Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls when he ran against Tim Walz in 2022.
Tafoya’s Rise in Minnesota Politics
Since then, Tafoya has become more active politically, particularly in Minnesota. Tafoya has taken Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar to task many times over their policies and rhetoric. Most recently, Tafoya has railed against a $1 billion fraud scheme in Minnesota that she linked to Walz and Omar.
Tafoya grew up in California and attended UC Berkeley for her undergraduate degree and USC for her master’s degree. She moved to Minnesota after graduation to pursue a career in sports broadcasting and has lived in the state since.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Tafoya has been receiving calls from supporters in Minnesota encouraging her to run, and she’s had ongoing conversations with South Carolina Sen. and NRSC Chairman, Tim Scott.
Minnesota hasn’t had a Republican senator since Norm Coleman, who left office in January 2009. Should Tafoya choose to run, she’d look to reverse a trend that has continued for over 15 years.
After a frigid weekend, Monday will bring warmer temperatures across Minnesota.
In the Twin Cities, highs will climb into the mid-20s under brighter skies. Temperatures will continue rising on Tuesday, briefly reaching the upper 30s.
A weak system Tuesday night will cool things slightly, but conditions will stay quiet. Wednesday mostly stays mild, but a mix of rain and snow may develop late and continue into Thursday.
Cooler, more seasonable air returns heading into next weekend.
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