Kare11
Minnetonka shooting another reminder of violence against officers
“Happening at a rate that we haven’t seen before,” Potts said.
MINNESOTA, USA — It’s felt more and more common, a reoccurring issue that law enforcement in Minnesota can’t seem to get away from – violence against their officers.
“It’s very difficult,” Minnetonka Police Chief Scott Boerboom said.
In Minnetonka, yet another reminder. Two Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies were injured after a man opened fire while they were serving a warrant.
“I cannot begin to tell you the emotions that are going on right now,” Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said Wednesday afternoon.
“I promise my family I will come home to them every day,” she continued. “It’s not a promise that should be broken by any of our first responders.”
Jeff Potts is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Police Chief’s Association, and has an extensive law enforcement career himself. Fear of not coming home has always been in the back of their minds.
Events over the past few months – including what happened in Burnsville – have brought those concerns to the front.
RELATED: Police: Gunman dead, 2 Hennepin County deputies injured in exchange of gunfire in Minnetonka
“I’m sure they’re thinking about this, their families are thinking about this a whole lot more than they used to,” Potts said. “The frequency that we are seeing where police officers are shot at and hit or killed is happening at a rate that we haven’t seen before.”
Data from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension shows while most categories of violent crime are down from pre-pandemic highs, assaults on officers are up. In 2019, there were about 400 violent assaults on Minnesota police officers.
In 2023, there were more than 900.
“From a mental health standpoint, it’s critically important that agencies have programs in place to help their officers mentally process the trauma that comes along with these situations,” Potts said.
Despite the emotions that come from this, Potts says the next step is clear – something has to change.
“What we’re looking at very closely now and trying to figure out, how can we start to get better?” Potts said “How can we get our hands around that? And how can we control it?”
RELATED: Minnesota BCA says assaults against police officers is on the rise, more than three per day in 2023
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:
Protesters were calling on the University of Minnesota to divest from companies that support Israel.
MINNEAPOLIS — Protests continued at the University of Minnesota Tuesday after 11 people were arrested the night before after barricading themselves inside Morrill Hall, and damaging the building.
Across town, outside the Hennepin County Justice Center, those involved in last night’s protest were waiting out front for the 11 individuals arrested, to be released.
“We don’t want our money to be sent to contribute to a genocide,” said student organizer Juliet Murphy. “Especially for those of us who have family that live in Lebanon, live in Palestine.”
Murphy is a sophomore at the U, and part of Students for a Democratic Society. She says Monday’s occupation was needed for students to get their voices heard. Students have been calling for the university to divest from companies that support Israel. They also want the university to divest academically and stop study abroad programs in Israel.
“We have gone through all of the ‘right channels’ and this seemed like the logical next step since there are so many escalations happening across the world from us right now,” Murphy said.
Around 5 P.M. on Tuesday, while the protest was going on, The University of Minnesota sent out a safety alert saying that buildings surrounding the campus mall were locked until further notice.
Protesters deny that they held any staff inside Morrill Hall against their will Monday, but the University says some employees were unable to exit. University President Rebecca Cunningham said in a statement that this was a “terrifying experience for many of our employees.”
Steve Hunegs, the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relation Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, says he’s grateful for the response of President Cunningham, and feels that Monday’s occupation was about stoking fear into University staff.
“Everybody should be against the behavior that was conducted yesterday on campus,” Hunegs said. “This is not about free speech, this is about intimidation, this is about vandalism.”
At this time, KARE 11 is not naming the 11 people arrested as they have not been charged yet. According to organizers of the occupation, all 11 arrested are either current students or recent graduates at the U.
The teen had been last seen around 5 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Forest St. and 4th Ave. E. in St. Paul’s Dayton Bluff neighborhood.
ST PAUL, Minn. — A missing teenager in St. Paul has been found safe, according to a brief news release from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Ke-Andre Oliver-Butler had been last seen around 5 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Forest St. and 4th Ave. E. in St. Paul’s Dayton Bluff neighborhood. Officials announced he was found in an update Tuesday evening.
“Thank you to all who helped search for him or shared the information,” Minnesota BCA said on social media.
Student organizations on campus began protesting certain University policies last year after the Hamas-Israel war began.
MINNEAPOLIS — The aftermath of students taking over Morrill Hall at the University of Minnesota has protesters standing firm in their push for the University to divest in financial connections to Israel. On Tuesday, a group of students from the U of M Divestment Coalition waited for 11 students and alumni to be released from jail after being arrested Monday night.
In a statement, University President Rebecca Cunningham called the occupation of the building where administrative offices are held, “a terrifying experience for many of our employees.” She went on to discuss the University’s rich history and commitment to free expression.
“We think there is an extreme lack of urgency from the university on some of our demands,” Juliet Murphy, a protester from Students for Democratic Society (SDS) said.
The SDS organized the occupation of Morrill Hall on Monday. Murphy says they do not regret their actions of barricading the doors shut and spray painting the indoor security cameras.
“The First Amendment does not give us the right to destroy property however strongly we may feel about our cause,” University of Minnesota media ethics and law professor, Jane Kirtley said.
Kirtley supports peaceful protests, as they have been a part of the University for decades, including at Morrill Hall. The administrative building was occupied peacefully for an entire day by students advocating for Black students’ rights during the Civil Rights movement in 1969.
“The challenge is to balance the First Amendment rights of the protesters and the rights of the other students to go about their business on the regular day,” Kirtley said.
Which the Jewish Communications Relations Council feels students could not do on Monday night, especially Jewish students.
“Intimidation, vandalism, occupation is not free speech, it’s about stoking fear and interfering with the life of the University,” JCRC executive director, Steve Hunegs said.
Students apart of SDS chose to protest because of the University of Minnesota’s neutral stance on investments and financial ties to Israel, particularly the Consolidated Endowment Fund. This has been a debated topic since protesters from the U of M Divestment Coalition formed with SDS, Young Democratic-Socialists of America (YDSA), and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
This coalition was behind the encampment from the end of April last year that lasted through May 2. It closed down several buildings, including the most visited library during final exams.
The protesters agreed to remove the encampment after having a formal meeting with university leaders, including the interim president, Jeff Ettinger. Here is the list of commitments the University agreed to and say they have made progress on nearly completely them all.
