May 6, 2005 - Police Sergeant Jerry Vick will be remembered tonight in Saint Paul by fellow officers, city officials and community members who have worked with him. Vick was shot to death early this morning in the line of duty.
May 6, 2005 - St. Paul police say they have arrested several possible witnesses or suspects in the first fatal shooting of a St. Paul police officer since 1994. St. Paul Police Sergeant Jerry Vick was shot several times outside of a bar on St. Paul's east side. Vick died later at Regions Hospital. Police chief John Harrington says authorities are still searching the area, and he's uncertain if any of those arrested are the people who shot Vick. Vick has been with the St. Paul police department since 1989. He has received two medals of commendation for his work as a police officer. Former Police Chief William Finney promoted Vick to sergeant in 1999. He says Vick was a "hard charging cop."
May 6, 2005 - St. Paul Police say they are holding two men in the early morning shooting death of St. Paul Police Sgt. Gerald Vick.
May 9, 2005 - Relatives of St. Paul police sergeant Gerald Vick spoke out today about their loss. Vick was shot early Friday morning while undercover on prostitution detail in east St. Paul. Vick's brother Ken shared memories with reporters this afternoon about Jerry Vick and the "giant void" that was created by his death. Ken Vick says he respected the work his brother did. He said his brother just wanted to help people.
May 11, 2005 - Several thousand people, including hundreds of police officers from across the Upper Midwest, were in St. Paul today to honor one of their own. Funeral services for St. Paul Police Sergeant Gerald Vick were held at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church on the city's East Side. Vick was shot and killed in the line of duty last Friday.
May 13, 2005 - St. Paul police officials say they are reviewing their department's alcohol policy in light of tests that determined Sgt. Gerald Vick had a blood alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit when he was gunned down one week ago. Officials say they knew about Vick's high blood alcohol level very soon after the shooting and that they still have a case against Harry Evans the man who's been charged with killing Vick. They insist, despite the drinking, the charge should be murder of peace officer which could put Evans in prison for the rest of his life. Lawyers with the Ramsey County Public Defenders Office say they're concerned that information about Vick's blood alcohol level is only coming out now.
July 15, 2005 - Minneapolis police officials say they may be able to hire and deploy 20 new officers by next month. Mayor RT Rybak says the new officers are part of a plan to hire a total of 60 new cops by the middle of next year. State lawmakers restored 6.2 million dollars in Local Government Aid funds. The city had been expecting a nearly 30 million dollar reduction in state aid. That restored money is helping to free up funds to pay for the new officers. Police officials say they are committed to hiring a racially and ethnically diverse group of new officers. Ron Edwards, a member of the Police Community Relations Council, says he'd like the department to present formal diversity goals.
July 29, 2005 - Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's 2006 budget proposal is 1.3 billion dollars - a nearly three percent increase over 2005. Most of that increase will go to adding police officers and funding public safety programs. Public safety is a key issue because this is an election year and violent crime has gone up in the state's largest city. Several city council members say Rybak's budget will reduce crime while others say he should have addressed the city's public safety concerns earlier.
August 18, 2005 - The co-chair of the Police Community Relations Council in Minneapolis says there are tensions on panel. But the Reverend Ian Bethel says that's why the council is needed. The PCRC was established more than a year ago with the help of a federal mediator to deal with a number of police policies, including hiring, training and use of force. But a rift has developed between the police department members and community members. Reverend Bethel says since some members of the council have had their own run-ins with the Minneapolis Police Department, that's not surprising.
August 18, 2005 - Minneapolis Police Chief William McManus says he'll remain on the Police Community Relations Council, despite the rift between the police department and community members on the panel. But the chief says he'll no longer quietly accept the attacks some members of the council aim at the police department. The PCRC's co-chair is the Reverend Ian Bethel. He says there's some tension on the council, but that the panel provides a valuable opportunity for public.