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MN police association blasts Hennepin County Attorney for no assault charges after officer dragged

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A trade association representing Minnesota police officers across the state has leveled public criticism at Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office, saying prosecutors under-charged a driver after he dragged and injured a Maple Grove police officer during a traffic stop.

One month since the stop that ended with felony fleeing police and obstruction charges against the driver, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association spoke out in objection to prosecutors’ refusal to charge the driver with assault on a police officer, which carries a mandatory prison sentence. But the county attorney’s office countered that evidence shows he intended to flee, not assault the officer.

“This charging decision represents an alarming trend from the HCAO where violent offenders are not charged, or under charged, with crimes,” MPPOA General Counsel Imran Ali said in a statement. “Minnesota law has long recognized vehicles being treated as weapons in these types of situations. It is alarming how police officers are treated differently than citizens in the eyes of the HCAO.”

But Hennepin County Attorney’s office spokesperson Nick Kimball said the evidence does not warrant filing such charges:

“As any prosecutor or defense attorney understands, we need evidence to support charges and prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt. Unfortunately we are unable to rely on false characterizations of the facts by individuals from interest groups who don’t have access to all the evidence in the case,” Kimball said in a statement. “The evidence here is the defendant fled from officers in a motor vehicle and caused injuries while interfering with the officer’s duties. And the office charged him with the most serious charges we were ethically able to charge based on the evidence.”

Maple Grove police this week released dash camera video of the Nov. 13 traffic stop after the MPPOA, Minnesota’s largest law enforcement association, issued a statement disapproving the lack of assault charges against repeat felon Daniel Edward Rudolph, 40, of St. Louis Park, for the injures caused to officer Daniel Gross.

Dash camera video showed Rudolph exiting his vehicle and talking to officers before he sprinted toward the passenger door as Gross chased after him. The two wrestled for about 16 seconds as Rudolph was in the driver’s seat before he sped off with Gross’s arm pinned in the vehicle. He traveled 40 yards, according to the MPPOA, before Gross freed himself and rolled to the ground.

A shoulder injury prevented Gross from returning to work for two weeks, according to the MPPOA. He is medically cleared to return to work but has lingering pain from being dragged.

Prosecutors the next day charged Rudolph with fleeing police and obstructing the legal process. Charges say police stopped him for tinted windows and failing to signal at Weaver Lake Road and 83rd Way in Maple Grove.

Gross during the stop learned that Rudolph’s driver’s license was suspended and noticed an alcoholic beverage on the floor of the vehicle, charges say. He asked Rudolph to exit and as Gross was patting him down, Rudolph darted back to the vehicle. Another officer fell as the car sped off and Gross was able to get free as the vehicle turned right, charges say. Rudolph was arrested Nov. 14 and released two days later, according to jail logs. His public defender, Setara Barukzoy, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Ali, with MPPOA, said probable cause exists for assault charges against Rudolph, who they say used the vehicle as a weapon. MPPOA said Maple Grove Police Chief Eric Werner asked for a review of charges and prosecutors declined to charge Rudolph with assault.

Kimball said that multiple senior attorneys reviewed the charging decision at Werner’s request and came to the same conclusion.

MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters said in a statement to the Star Tribune that Moriarty “has endless sympathy for violent criminals and hostility to cops. The evidence is more than clear: purposefully dragging an officer 40 yards in a vehicle is clear intent to assault, and it’s been charged in other counties. MPPOA will always stand up for our members, the men and women of law enforcement.”

The county attorney’s statement said that the office is “grateful the officer in this case escaped the incident with minor injuries.”

“We fully recognize and appreciate the potential danger of the defendant’s actions and that is why we charged him with two felonies for his conduct.”

Rudolph appears back in court next week.



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Klobuchar criticizes White for saying ‘bad guys won in World War II’

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The only debate between DFL U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and GOP challenger Royce White started Sunday on the street outside WCCO Radio.

As White approached the building, he loudly called some two dozen flag-waving and cheering Klobuchar supporters a “whole lot of commies.” The 33-year-old provocateur and podcaster also told them to thank Republican former Vice President Dick Cheney — who endorsed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris — because there was “no chance in hell” that Harris would defeat Republican former President Donald Trump on Nov. 5.

Klobuchar, 64, had arrived moments earlier, smiling and wishing “good morning” to her supporters. Once inside, the two took questions for an hour from moderator Blois Olson. Their tone was generally polite with White often interrupting a Klobuchar response with, “rebuttal,” indicated he wanted to respond.

The senator repeatedly raised White’s claims on X, formerly Twitter, that “The bad guys won in World War II” and that there were “no good guys in that war.” She called that stance offensive to veterans.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar arrives at WCCO Radio for a debate with Royce White in Minneapolis on Sunday, Oct. 27. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii)

Klobuchar, who is seeking a fourth six-year term, portrayed herself as a pragmatist. She opened by saying that we live in “incredibly divisive times politically” but that she has listened and worked with Republicans to bring down shipping costs, drug prices for seniors and to help veterans and push for more housing and child care.

“Courage in this next few years is not going to be standing by yourself yelling at people,” she said, her opening allusion to White’s rhetoric, which she said is often vulgar.

White, a former NBA player, is a political novice, but a close ally of Steve Bannon, the jailed former chief strategist for Trump and right wing media executive. Last summer, White won the state GOP endorsement to run against Klobuchar.

“Our country’s coming undone at the seams. I think we can change that,” White said in his opening statement. He said he threatens the status quo, decried the “permanent political class” and referred to the two major parties as the “uniparty.”



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Satellite images show damage from Israeli attack at 2 secretive Iranian military bases

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Other buildings destroyed at Khojir and Parchin likely included buildings where Iran used industrial mixers to create the solid fuel needed for its extensive ballistic missile arsenal, Eveleth said.

In a statement issued immediately after the attack Saturday, the Israeli military said it targeted ”missile manufacturing facilities used to produce the missiles that Iran fired at the state of Israel over the last year.”

Destroying such sites could greatly disrupt Iran’s ability to manufacture new ballistic missiles to replenish its arsenal after the two attacks on Israel. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which oversees the country’s ballistic missile program, has been silent since Saturday’s attack.

Iran’s overall ballistic missile arsenal, which includes shorter-range missiles unable to reach Israel, was estimated to be ”over 3,000” by Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, then-commander of the U.S. military’s Central Command, in testimony to the U.S. Senate in 2022. In the time since, Iran has fired hundreds of the missiles in a series of attacks.

There have been no videos or photos posted to social media of missile parts or damage in civilian neighborhoods following the recent attack — suggesting that the Israeli strikes were far more accurate that Iran’s ballistic missile barrages targeting Israel in April and October. Israel relied on aircraft-fired missiles during its attack.

However, one factory appeared to have been hit in Shamsabad Industrial City, just south of Tehran near Imam Khomeini International Airport, the country’s main gateway to the outside world. Online videos of the damaged building corresponded to an address for a firm known as TIECO, which advertises itself as building advanced machinery used in Iran’s oil and gas industry.



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This Rochester MN school police officer used to be a narcotics cop

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Some take him up on it and fret when he’s not around.

“It is nice to be missed and be part of the school’s culture,” Arzola said. But mostly, he added, he wants kids to know that police aren’t around just for when the bad stuff happens. He’ll hand out his stickers and bracelets, even a trading card bearing his image. Then, they’ll talk about dogs and family.

School resource officer Al Arzola talks to students in his office at John Adams Middle School in Rochester on Oct. 11. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Two months ago, Rochester played host to a three-day training session for new SROs from across the state — an event organized by the Minnesota School Safety Center. On the final day, the 26 officers learned about surveillance challenges at the other school where Arzola works: Dakota Middle School.

It is a beautiful building with a scenic view. There is a lot of glass, too. Arzola, handling the role of instructor and tour guide, took the group outside and noted how one could look straight through the entrance to the large groups that gather inside. There were no curbs in front, either.

“There is nothing stopping any vehicle whatsoever from going through my front doors,” Arzola told the officers. “Law enforcement wasn’t talked to before this building was made. It was kind of like, ‘Here it is. You’re the SRO. Do what you do.’”

He showed them his office, too, which is separate from the main office and near those of other school support staff members. That makes sense, said Jenny Larrive, SRO coordinator for the Minnesota School Safety Center, given than SROs spend more time connecting with youth than on actual law enforcement.



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