September 6, 2006 - Investigators say preliminary autopsy results show no obvious signs of trauma on the body of a Ramsey County inmate. Frankie Howard of Saint Paul stopped breathing in a restraining device Saturday morning. Authorities say he had been behaving erratically before his death -- flooding his cell by clogging the toilet and trying to cut himself. Ramsey County workhouse spokesman Chris Crutchfield says attempts to subdue Howard with pepper spray weren't working.
September 12, 2006 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on interim Police Chief Tim Dolan being Mayor RT Rybak's choice to lead the Minneapolis Police department. Dolan is a Minneapolis native and 23-year veteran of the force. Rybak says Dolan's experience with the city and with the department makes him the best choice to be the city's next top police officer. Report also contains commentary from PCRC and community member.
September 12, 2006 - The Saint Paul City Council is scheduled to vote tomorrow on how much the city can tax property owners next year. Some St. Paul neighborhood groups and some city council members want the city to include money in the budget to hire 40 more police officers next year. A majority of city council members and Mayor Chris Coleman say they support increasing the number of officers. But on the eve of the vote there's little agreement on how many extra cops the city needs.
September 12, 2006 - Interim police Chief Tim Dolan is Mayor R.T. Rybak's choice to lead the Minneapolis Police department. Dolan is a Minneapolis native and 23-year veteran of the force. Rybak says Dolan's experience with the city and with the department makes him the best choice to be the city's next top cop. MPR’s Brandt Williams report includes comments from both Rybak and Dolan.
September 21, 2006 - Two Minneapolis police officers are on paid administrative leave after they were involved in a shooting that left a man dead. Police report that late last night officers Jason King and Lawrence Loonsfoot responded to a domestic call in south Minneapolis . They say the suspect, 27-year-old Dominic Felder, ran from officers. After officers caught Felder and tried to arrest him, they say he struggled with the officers. Police union president Sgt. John Delmonico says it's his understanding that the officers fired on the suspect after he fought with them and tried to get one of their guns.
September 21, 2006 - Minneapolis police officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man shot by police officers last night. Police report that the 27-year-old man struggled with officers before he was shot. But members of the man's family dispute police accounts and say they believe he was the victim of police misconduct.
September 21, 2006 - The family members of a man shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers last night are disputing the version of events given by police. Police say Dominic Felder was threatening to kill people at a residence on the city's south side last night just before officers arrived. They say they chased Felder and tried to arrest him but he resisted. A police Sgt. familiar with the case says Felder tried to grab one of the officers guns and was shot. But some of Felder's relatives dispute that account. Felder's aunt, Valerie Parker, says her nephew was having troubles, but wasn't violent.
October 11, 2006 - Interim Minneapolis police chief Tim Dolan is facing tough questions from several city councilmembers who have not committed to vote for his appointment to the permanent job. Dolan appeared in front of the council's executive committee and tried to address some of their concerns. Some councilmembers suggested that Dolan may not be willing to discipline officers who've been the subject of Civilian Review Authority complaints. Dolan says he supports the civilian review process, but says the chief still has the final say on discipline. If appointed to the permanent position, Dolan says he'll continue to maintain the priorities that he's followed as the interim chief.
October 11, 2006 - The nomination of Tim Dolan as the next police chief of Minneapolis took a step forward today. The City Council's Executive Committee voted to send Dolan's appointment to another committee for consideration. However three members of the committee say they aren't ready to vote for Dolan's appointment. Councilmember Cam Gordon raised concerns over the recent police shooting and killing of a man who was believed to be having a mental breakdown. Gordon asked whether the officers involved in the shooting had received the proper training to handle people with mental health problems. Dolan declined to comment because the incident is still under investigation. However Dolan has allowed the officers to return to duty. Gordon says his constituents want a chief willing to crackdown on police misconduct.
October 18, 2006 - Some Minneapolis city councilmembers say they expect interim chief Tim Dolan will be appointed as the next police chief later this week. Today a council committee approved the appointment after listening to public testimony. Dolan's supporters told the council that he's the right person for the job because he knows the city and wouldn't have to spend time getting to know his fellow officers in the department. Dolan is a 23-year veteran and a native of Minneapolis . But opponents say the city should look for someone from outside who would be better at changing the culture of the department. Michael Cavlan is a Minneapolis resident and a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate.