State briefs: Clark police shooting case goes to prosecutors
Published 10:16 am Thursday, February 11, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota authorities announced Wednesday that they have completed their investigation into the November fatal shooting of a black man by Minneapolis police officers, and prosecutors are now reviewing the case for possible charges.
Jamar Clark, 24, was shot by a Minneapolis officer on Nov. 15 during what authorities said was a struggle. Some who said they saw the shooting have said that Clark wasn’t struggling and was handcuffed. Clark’s death prompted numerous protests, including an 18-day occupation outside a police precinct, with demonstrators demanding that video of the shooting be released.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it has finished its investigation, but did not provide details of what it found. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Wednesday that his office will review the file from the bureau to make sure it’s complete and determine whether additional investigation is necessary.
Freeman said he would like to have a decision on whether to charge the officers by the end of March. Freeman has said he would present the case to a grand jury; protesters want a special prosecutor to review the case instead, saying that grand juries are unlikely to indict officers.
Officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze were placed on paid administrative leave after theshooting and returned to work on Jan. 6. Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder said they are assigned to the special operations intelligence division.
Lt. Bob Kroll, head of the Minneapolis police union, said the officers are on desk duty. He said by email that he has faith in the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and looks forward to having the officers’ good reputations restored.
A separate federal investigation looking at whether police intentionally violated Clark’s civil rights through excessive force is also underway.
County votes to chip in on St. Paul-to-Chicago rail study
ST. PAUL — Ramsey County officials have voted to provide up to $300,000 for the study of a second daily round-trip train between St. Paul and Chicago.
The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners voted 7-0 Tuesday to finalize a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation and move forward with the first phase of a $600,000 environmental assessment. Wisconsin would fund the other half.
An Amtrak feasibility study released last year predicted ridership on a second train could exceed 150,000 passengers a year, but Minnesota and Wisconsin would have to subsidize about $6.6 million annually. About 100,000 people ride a train between Chicago and St. Paul each year.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports the first phase of the environmental study would be done by end of December 2017 and have finer estimates for construction, capital and operating costs.
Suspect to plead guilty in Islamic State case
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota man accused of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State group is expected to plead guilty.
Twenty-year-old Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court on Thursday for a change of plea hearing. Court documents allege Warsame tried to help other young men from Minnesota’s Somali community travel to Syria to fight for the Islamic State group.
Nine other members of that group were charged previously; one is believed to be in Syria and three have already pleaded guilty.
Five others are scheduled to go to trial in May and a hearing in their case is also scheduled for Thursday. That hearing will address several pretrial issues.
Roseville officers fatally shoot man who stabbed police dog
ROSEVILLE — Authorities in a Twin Cities suburb say officers fatally shot a man who stabbed a police dog.
Roseville Police Chief Rick Mathwig says officers were called to an apartment building about 10 p.m. Wednesday because neighbors heard pounding coming from the man’s unit. Mathwig says officers also heard the pounding and forced their way into the man’s apartment.
The chief says the 52-year-old man was found hiding in a closet with a large knife. Mathwig says the man made a stabbing motion, striking the dog in the jaw. That’s when officers opened fire, killing the man. The chief hasn’t said how many officers shot the man, but five officers involved in the incident are on administrative leave, per protocol.
The police dog was treated at a veterinary hospital and is expected to be OK.
Federal judges to hear arguments in flood diversion case
ST. PAUL, — Three federal appeals judges will hear arguments Thursday on whether construction of a levee related to a planned Red River diversion project should proceed.
A federal district judge last year halted construction of the levee south of Fargo, North Dakota, until the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources completed its environmental study of the diversion project. Supporters of the proposed 36-mile diversion channel appealed the decision.
The levee would protect structures in three small North Dakota communities south of Fargo, which are part of a staging area that would be flooded when the diversion channel is needed.
A group of diversion opponents from North Dakota and Minnesota filed the lawsuit in August 2013, saying there were better and cheaper options. They later added a motion to stop construction of the levee.
Minnesota Court upholds conviction in boy’s death
ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of a Pope County woman in the death of her 4-year-old stepson.
A jury convicted Amanda Peltier of first-degree murder in 2014 after hearing evidence that she repeatedly bit and beat Eric Dean, and threw him across a room, causing a fatal injury.
The judge sentenced Peltier to life in prison, with a possibility of release in 30 years.
The Star Tribune reports the Supreme Court agreed Wednesday with Peltier’s argument that the prosecuting attorney made several improper remarks in his closing arguments. But the court ruled those comments did not affect Peltier’s rights.
Gov. Mark Dayton called for an overhaul of Minnesota’s child protection system after the Star Tribune reported on Pope County’s repeated failures to protect the boy.