Just another violent weekend – unfortunately

On Friday evening the son of a former metro area police chief was violently assaulted and hospitalized during a robbery of his cell phone in downtown Minneapolis. The chief posted some thoughts and observations of our current state of public safety. Here is an excerpt that deserves our attention:

Minneapolis is down hundreds of officers and the few that remain do not feel supported to do their jobs in a politically volatile situation. The few dozen state officers (BCA and State Troopers) are good cops and are trying to help but are a token substitute for what is missing.

Like many of you, this was not personal until I watched my son trying to breath, his jaw broken, his brain swollen and bleeding, us wondering what long term effects he would have, because he tried to hold onto his phone.

If people tell you Downtown MPLS is safe they are lying or incredibly uninformed. If you blame my son for being downtown on a Friday night I invite you to think about how this was not a question 5 years ago.

If you hear that the state is effectively supplementing the MPD, it’s an exaggeration and ineffective.

Please don’t let politics get in the way of addressing violence and repeat criminals; we have to restore our state and it’s urban core to a place where people are safe and there is a sense of justice. I only hope that my son and his generation live to see this come true, and that at some point we wake up and address the realities that will help us get there.

In case anyone believes the crime problem is being exaggerated, I’ve parsed out just a few examples of activity from this past weekend as reported through various crime watch twitter services. Crime and violence is not contained to just Minneapolis or St. Paul.

Friday July 22nd

  • BLOOMINGTON: Officers were dispatched near 24th/American Blvd for a robbery where shots were fired by the suspects. Patrol immediately arrived and ended up arresting 4 juvenile males and ultimately recovering 3 handguns. Thankfully no one was hit by the gunfire.
  • ANOKA: Officers searching for a female suspect who fled on foot from a vehicle after a pursuit, last seen in the area of Main St. & 2nd Ave. – Drone is being launched to assist. – Suspect described as a Native American female wearing a black shirt, black pants and blonde hair.
  • BURNSVILLE: Officers have a male suspect now in custody after a reported domestic incident involving a weapon on the 600 block of Portland Pl. – A perimeter search was set up in the area after the suspect fled on foot.
  • SAINT PAUL: A State Trooper just had three at gunpoint on Como Ave. just off of Hwy. 280 following a pursuit. – The Trooper was able to get the vehicle stopped with a PIT maneuver. Backup arrived and officers have all three occupants now in custody.

Saturday July 23

  • MINNEAPOLIS: Robbery of person at gunpoint report – 1st Ave. S. & E. 24th St. – Suspect vehicle is a black BMW, occupied x4, last seen toward Hennepin Ave.  Victim reported they were pistol-whipped by one of the suspects.
  • MINNEAPOLIS: Carjacking at gunpoint report – 62x Franklin Ave. E. – Suspects fled in a black Honda car, southbound on Portland Ave. S.
  • MINNEAPOLIS: Report of an assault with a stick at Winner Gas, 626 W. Broadway Ave.
  • MINNEAPOLIS: Report of strong-arm carjacking – 24xx Eliot Ave.
  • VADNAIS HEIGHTS/LITTLE CANADA: Flee – County Rd. D. & Labore Rd. – An officer spotted a silver Mustang being driven at a high rate of speed, lost sight of the vehicle and then found it crashed into a yard near the intersection, unoccupied. The male driver left both shoes behind.
  • MINNEAPOLIS: Brief officer help call near 4th St. & W. Broadway Ave. after a flee from a vehicle and mention of a suspect possibly armed with a gun. Officers are code 4/situation under control now.

Sunday July 24th

  • MINNEAPOLIS: A gunshot wound victim at North Memorial hospital in Robbinsdale is reported to be a 16-year-old, injured in a shooting around 9 p.m. Saturday in/near Folwell Park, 1615 Dowling Ave. N. in Minneapolis. – Unknown extent of the victim’s injury and no suspect information available.
  • MINNEAPOLIS: A follower says they witnessed another purse snatch near W Lake St and Irving Ave S. Confirmed on dispatch audio just after 6:30 p.m. Suspect was in a black Audi with Colorado plates.
  • MINNEAPOLIS: Example of automatic gunfire heard on Newton Ave in North Minneapolis and tracked by “Shot Spotter.” https://twitter.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/1551318692260192258
  • MINNEAPOLIS: Carjacking of a Door Dash driver. 8xx Gertrude Brown Pl. Six male suspects. Loss: gray Chevy sedan

Monday July 25, early AM

  • MINNEAPOLIS: Carjacking at gunpoint. 15th Ave S and E Franklin Ave. Loss: gray/silver Ford 500 sedan.
  • EDINA: The stolen vehicle with Colorado plates has a KOPS alert for strong arm robbery out of Edina, 2 BM suspects tried to bait squads into a pursuit earlier tonight.

Things are not well in Minnesota at the moment. The efforts to undermine public safety and excuse criminal behavior have seriously deteriorated the our collective livability.

Have we learned from our mistakes?