Star Tribune
At his memorial service, Tou Ger Xiong is remembered for his humor and spirit
As the lights dimmed and mourners’ voices hushed Saturday at the Legacy Funeral Home in St. Paul, Tou Ger Xiong’s voice played through the speakers.
The rap “Go Hmong Boy” by the popular Hmong comedian and activist, kidnapped and murdered last month in Colombia, played as a video created by his nephew ran through pictures of Xiong speaking in classrooms, traveling the world, and embracing family and friends.
His was a life that inspired people in Minnesota and across the United States, and one that attracted hundreds of mourners to the first day of his three-day memorial service.
Cars filled the parking lot and lined streets around the funeral home, forcing some mourners to park on the grass. Inside, the scent of white and pink flowers drifted from bouquets surrounding pictures of Xiong.
People shared memories of Tou Ger on pink and white papers that hung from a faux tree. Trophies and achievements Xiong collected were displayed, while across the room family and friends shared letters of remembrance on a photo wall.
“When you were just a baby, I was the one who took care of you,” read a letter penned by Mai See. “I cannot believe you are really gone … I hope that one day we will be brother and sister again.”
Many shared their memories of Xiong during Saturday’s service, including Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar did not attend the memorial, but a representative from her office read a letter she wrote for the service. Their stories drew laughter and tears from many of those gathered who found humor in Xiong’s spirit — and grief in his passing.
“He gave me the courage. He lifted my spirit. He gave me a sense of belonging. And, most importantly, he gave me a voice,” state Rep. Ethan Cha of Woodbury said. “Tou Ger is a North Star for us Hmong-Americans.”
Xiong, 50, was found dead in Medellín, Colombia, on Dec. 11 after being kidnapped by a group of men who demanded $2,000 from his family. He was killed before abductors collected the money. Xiong is among dozens who have been kidnapped in Colombia, marking a trend that authorities say is rising.
The Associated Press reported Jan. 19 that two men and a woman were in custody after being charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated homicide in Xiong’s death, and that a juvenile male also was charged in the case. The adult suspects denied the charges at a hearing.
Many said Saturday that Xiong’s death left a void in their life that couldn’t be filled. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter told mourners that the two had been friends for 20 years, and that he found it difficult to suppress the “mountain of anger” he felt after learning of his death. But he challenged those gathered to continue the work his late friend had started.
“It’s hard for me to push through this intense feeling that my friend Tou Ger gave so much more to the world than, in the end, he ended up getting from us,” Carter said.
“And if the story stops there, then it’s one of the most horrific injustices that I’ve heard. But the blessing for me, and the blessing for you, is that we still have [his] lessons.”
Transforming the heart of both downtowns, which have much larger buildings than old warehouses, is going to take a lot more money, creativity and time. Josh Talberg, managing director at downtown Minneapolis brokerage JLL, said with no major apartment buildings on the drawing board in either downtown, the fleet of empty office buildings present a golden opportunity to create more housing and lead both cities in a new direction.
“You can can certainly see the fundamentals improving, and you can feel that vibrancy, and that’s ultimately the foundation that’s needed to get investors to reinvest in the city,” he said. “But it’s not as if these 18-wheelers can turn on a dime.”
The Minnesota Department of Transportation closed part of a state highway Wednesday evening near Austin because of a “major hazardous materials release” in the area.
Hwy. 56 from Hayfield to Waltham, a stretch covering about five miles, was closed in both directions and drivers were directed to follow a detour to Blooming Prairie on U.S. Hwy. 218.
No information on the hazardous materials released was immediately available.
A federal judge dismissed a civil lawsuit against Minnesota state trooper Ryan Londregan in the shooting death of Ricky Cobb II during a 2023 traffic stop.
The decision is the latest development in a case that has drawn heated debate over excessive use of force by law enforcement. Criminal charges against Londregan were dismissed by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in June, saying the prosecution didn’t have the evidence to proceed with a case.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel granted Londregan’s motion to dismiss the civil suit, arguing he acted reasonably when he opened fire as Cobb’s vehicle lurched forward with another state trooper partly inside.
Londregan’s attorney Chris Madelsaid Wednesday that it’s been a “long, grueling journey to justice. Ryan Londregan has finally arrived.”
On July 31, 2023, the two troopers pulled over Cobb, 33, on Interstate 94 in north Minneapolis for driving without taillights and later learned he was wanted for violating a felony domestic no-contact order. Cobb refused commands to exit the car.
With Seide partly inside the car while trying to unbuckle Cobb’s seatbelt, the car moved forward. Londregan then opened fire, hitting Cobb twice.
In her decision, Brasel said the troopers were mandated by state law to make an arrest given Cobb’s domestic no-contact order violation. She said it was objectively reasonable for Londregan to believe Seide was in immediate danger as the car moved forward on a busy highway, which would make his use of force reasonable.
