The list of Stolen Lives maintained by CUAPB

For those who are curious about how many people have been killed in MN by
police officers, the stories of many of them are available at the website
of Communities United Against Police Brutality at: https://www.cuapb.org/
Go to the Stolen Lives section and click on the Stolen Lives under the
picture. There you will find the names of people killed by police actions
and how they died. Surprisingly, a large number of these deaths do not
involve firearms.

One of the main causes of death involving police is high speed car chases.
A number of the victims on their way somewhere have become collateral
damage. Over the past year there has been a substantial increase in
car-jackings, joy rides by youths, and road rage incidents possibly
stemming from the frustrations of COVID-19 and exacerbated by the murder of
George Floyd. In spite of changes to the rules of pursuit by officers, the
death toll from peripheral victims is continuing to rise.

Another cause of death from encounters with police is the Taser, once
touted as an alternative to using a gun. Improper and/or injudicious use
of the Taser or the use of multiple Tasers by police has resulted in
premature deaths. The frequency of deaths coinciding with being tased has
led to studies by the local medical community. Closer scrutiny of these
studies have revealed disturbing news about the lack of ethics regarding
informed consent.

Deaths of people in custody are among the causes of death attributed to law
officers working in jails and prisons. Over the years, a number of
incarcerated people in need of medical help did not receive that help and
and died while in custody. This negligence occurred in spite of the
obligation on the jail personnel to monitor people on a regular basis and
take action when needed. The number of people who die in custody is a
largely unknown by the general public. In the most recent legislative
session, activists got a bill passed (the Hardel Sherrell Act) in the
legislature dealing with this problem. Mr. Sherrell died in custody after
days of neglect, even though a jail nurse had reported his condition as
serious. The company providing medical care for a number of prisons
statewide has been fired and the doctor overseeing the company is being
investigated.

It can be safely assumed that there are many more deaths at the hands of
police accidentally than by direct and intentional means. These deaths,
known as "manslaughter", are nevertheless wrong and unnecessary, and are
avoidable by following the rules and regulations spelled out in the
extensive training given law enforcement trainees. So many deaths can be
been prevented simply by following guidelines and using common sense.

The list of Stolen Lives is growing as people become aware of it and wish
to have their loved one's names added. The amount of names on the list is
sad, and the stories are ones that create trauma that is ongoing through
generations. If you know of a name that should be on the list, please let
us know. You can contact us through our website, as cited above.

Janet Nye
Phillips

Janet Nye posted at 6:40pm:

My response to Janet Nye:

I am fact-checking CUAPB's list of “Stolen Lives”, regarding deaths at the
hands of law enforcement in Minneapolis.

The first person from Minneapolis on the CUAPB “Stolen Lives,” list is Hannah
Abukar, who was killed on April 16, 2008.

According to CUAPB “Stolen Lives,” “Hanna, 26, was on her way to mosque when
her car was struck by a car driven by a 15- year-old involved in a high-speed
chase with Minneapolis police. The incident occurred on Lake Street and many in
the community questioned the need for the chase on such a busy street. Many
mourners attended Hanna’s funeral. Hanna leaves behind a grieving husband and
two children.”

However, according to every news source I could find, including a Somali news
source, the 15-year-old was not being perused by the police when he struck the
car driven by Hanna. The police had ended their pursuit of the teen in a stolen
car, about a half-mile earlier because it was decided by the police that it
would be too dangerous to continue. The claim that Hanna’s life was “stolen” by
police officers during a high-speed chase is misleading at best. It included
vague, unsourced, and biased statements, such as “many in the community
questioned the need for the chase on such a busy street.” Rather than provide
documentation and backing their assertions with logical arguments, they make
appeals to the reader's emotions by stating, "Many mourners attended Hanna’s
funeral. Hanna leaves behind a grieving husband and two children.”
Unless CUAPB can come up with better documentation to back their claims, we
rule that the claim is mostly false.

According to twincities.com:

Police said they had been chasing the teen’s car before it crashed into
Abukar’s car at Lake Street and Stevens Avenue in Minneapolis. The teen reached
speeds of 80 mph, police said. Out of concern for public safety, they called
off the chase at Lake Street and Chicago Avenue, a half-mile before the site of
the crash, police said.
https://www.twincities.com/2008/04/08/minneapolis-teen-driver-charged-in-fatal-crash/

According to MPR:

“...Officials with the Minneapolis Police Department said they stopped a car
chase this weekend because it would have been too dangerous to continue…
“…[Police Sgt. William] Palmer said the suspect was driving too fast for
officers to continue following him, and he was driving in a busy area.
He said officers consider several factors when deciding whether to continue a
chase, such as the driver's speed, traffic and road conditions, and the
seriousness of the violation.” https://www.mprnews.org/story/2008/04/07/chase

Hiiraan, a Samali news source had the same information involving the fatal
crash.
https://hiiraan.com/news4/2008/Apr/6249/somali_immigrant_community_mourns_member_killed_in_weekend_crash_with_driver_of_stolen_car.aspx

Note: I will continue with fact-checking the list of "stolen lives" which are
from Minneapolis, as time permits. I am going to just research and comment on
Minneapolis's "stolen lives," to bring this topic back to being Minneapolis
Specific, which it originally was not, as the "stolen lives" list makes claims
regarding "stolen lives" from all of Minnesota.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

The second person on the CUAPB “Stolen lives” list from Minneapolis is Chris
Anderson. Anderson died on April 16, 2005, in Minneapolis. His life was
allegedly “stolen” by the MPD.

According to CUAPB, “Stolen Lives” list, under circumstances, it states:
“Chris, 33, went into respiratory and cardiac arrest while handcuffed. He had
caused a disturbance at a bar and had been held down by bar patrons until
police arrived. It was unclear if Taser or pepper spray were used during the
arrest.”

But, as you can see from the above two-sentence statement, nothing is said
about the manner of death, beyond that he died of respiratory or cardiac arrest
while handcuffed. Was he abused in some way by either the bar patrons, who were
restraining him, or by the police? Was he on some kind of drug or medication
that caused or contributed to his death? Was an autopsy performed?

The statement does not even say who was responsible, except that under the
heading, Departments, and Officers, it lists "Minneapolis PD”. Because Chris
Anderson is on the list it can be assumed that CUAPB is implying that Anderson
was killed by the MPD, but no evidence is presented, or even a clear accusation
besides the implication already noted.

Because no evidence is given, or a clear accusation made, we will have to
assume that the MPD is not responsible for Chris Anderson’s death in accordance
with the Principle that all should be presumed innocent, at least until, an
unambiguous accusation is made, and evidence of guilt can be demonstrated.
Therefore we find the implication presented in the CUAPB, “Stolen Lives” is
most likely false. We will, however, withhold final judgment pending further
evidence from CUAPB, or any source that can provide any evidence in this case.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

According to CUAPB “Stolen Lives,” the third person on the “Stolen lives” list
from Minneapolis is Tommie Baker. Baker died on April 1, 2008, in Minneapolis.
His life was allegedly ”stolen” by the Minneapolis PD.

According to CUAPB: “Tommie, 40, died after being pulled from a vehicle during
a traffic stop. According to the driver of the vehicle, police were familiar
with the man which may be why he was targeted. The driver had been placed in
the back of the squad car. He states that the passenger was then taken to the
back of the stopped vehicle in handcuffs where he was beaten and choked, and
police jammed a plastic bag down his throat, asphyxiating him to death. Police
later claimed the man swallowed the bag. Despite emergency surgery to remove
the bag, Tommie died at the hospital.”

Unlike the previous case involving the death of Chris Anderson, CUAPB did at
least provide an accusation. In this case, it is an accusation tantamount to
murder. But, again they have provided no evidence beyond the alleged
accusations of the person who CUAPB claims was with Tommie Backer when he was
arrested. They did not even mention the relationship the two had with each
other. Were they friends? Were they involved in a business transaction at the
time? All of that would be useful in trying to determine the veracity of the
alleged witness’s statements, based upon his likely motives. That is also
assuming that there really was a witness, who really made those allegations.

Part of the alleged witness’s statement is that the police “jammed a plastic
bag down Backer’s throat, asphyxiating him to death”. Earlier, he also claimed
that he had been placed in the back of the squad car. He states that the
passenger [Tommie Baker] was then taken to the back of the stopped vehicle
prior to the alleged police misconduct. This raises the question of how much
could a person placed in the back of a squad car see what was going on in the
back of another car. Is it possible that what the witness saw was Baker after
having swallowed a plastic bag, possibly containing a controlled substance,
then have the police try to retrieve the bag before he was able to swallow it?
Did this all happen while Baker was in a seated position, therefore possibly
allowing an unobstructed view from the back seat of the squad car holding the
alleged witness? Seems unlikely. If Baker was being beaten and choked, he would
likely have gotten down in a crouched or fetal position to protect himself,
thus eliminating the possibility of being fully observed by a witness in the
back of another car.

Before we can pass judgment on this case, I think we will need some evidence
such as a police report, news reports, and an autopsy report. Short of that, I
think we will have to judge this case as inconclusive at best.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

The fourth person on the CUAPB “Stolen lives” list from Minneapolis is Jonathan
Barbour. Barbour died December 31, 2016, in Minneapolis.

According to CUAPB, “Jonathan was a passenger in a vehicle being pursued by
Minneapolis Police. The van crashed and Jonathan fled on foot. He jumped the
median and was hit by a van on I35W in Minneapolis. He was transported to HCMC
where he later died from his injuries. He was 25 years old.”

According to CUAPB’s own account of the incident when Barbour was killed, the
Minneapolis PD was not responsible for Barbour’s death. According to their own
account, Barbour was responsible for his own death by choosing to run onto a
busy freeway, where he was struck and killed by a van.

Besides the obituary, I was able to find the following from WCCO TV:

“MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A wanted fugitive is dead and two people are in custody
after a police chase involving a stolen car in Minneapolis early Saturday
morning.

“The Minnesota State Patrol says police attempted to stop three people in a
stolen vehicle just before 3:30 a.m. The suspects fled, and eventually crashed
the vehicle near Lake Street and 2nd Avenue after a 12-block chase. All three
then ran towards Interstate 35W.
“One of the suspects, 25-year-old Jonathan Barbour of Minneapolis, jumped over
the median wall and was struck by a van in the center lane. He was taken to
Hennepin County Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.

“‘When they bailed, the one went up on the freeway to run from the police
officers and was struck by a vehicle,’ witness Dustin Simko said.

‘State records show Barbour had been a wanted fugitive since May in connection
to a charge of aggravated robbery…”
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/12/31/ped-killed-i-35w/

We rule this implied allegation to be false.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

After I posted the above piece, I noticed several more news stories covering
this event. They all had roughly the same information that was in the WCCO
report, with the exception of Fox News. It was the only place where I found
this reference to a handgun, having been found at the scene.

"According to police, officers recovered a handgun near the victim after he had
been struck by the van."
https://www.fox9.com/news/man-struck-by-van-after-fleeing-stolen-vehicle-in-minneapolis

Just thought I would pass that along. I wonder how many lives the Minneapolis
Police officers saved by just getting that gun off the street. I am sure Janet
Nye, Dave Bicking, Michelle Gross, and all of CUAPB would like to join me in
thanking the Minneapolis police officers for all of their efforts at getting
that and many other guns off the streets. For all of the crimes you [MPD] have
prevented, including homicides, thank You.

CJ Sparrow

Jason P. Barsness was killed on April 7, 2011, In Columbus.

According to CUAPB, “Jason, 28, allegedly carjacked a taxicab and led police on
a high-speed chase. He died from multiple gunshot wounds after five out of six
officers on the scene shot him. State Trooper Gerald Ladwig was present but did
not fire.”

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
“Barsness had led officers on about a 40-minute chase reaching speeds of 100
miles an hour. He eventually faced gunfire from five officers when he pointed a
gun at them on Interstate 35E just south of Forest Lake. He died of multiple
wounds, according to the state Department of Public Safety (DPS)…

“…Barsness, 28, waved down a Red and White Taxicab about 5 a.m. in south
Minneapolis, said the company's general manager Pat White. He smelled of
alcohol but didn't appear drunk. The cab driver grew suspicious of a north
metro address Barsness provided. When the cab driver asked how he was going to
pay, Barsness allegedly turned violent.

“White said that Barsness pressed a gun against the driver's head, threatened
to kill him, ordered him out on Interstate 94 westbound in the Lowry tunnel,
robbed him, and fled in the cab.

“The stolen cab hit spike strips that authorities had laid across I-35E at 80th
Street in Columbus, sending it into a ditch. Officers confronted Barsness, and
he was shot…

“…Barsness’ last known address is in Cass Lake, but authorities said he may
also have an address in Minneapolis.

https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/cuapb/pages/270/attachments/original/1625935097/Carjacking_suspect_killed_by_police_is_identified_-_StarTribune.com.pdf?1625935097

Again, CUAPB does not make any specific allegations beyond the implication that
the shooting was unjustified, by its inclusion in the “stolen lives” list. We
find that the shooting was justified based on the information provided by both
CUAPB and the Star Tribune. Therefore, without evidence to the contrary, we
judge the implication that the shooting was unjustified as false.

Notre: This incident allegedly began in Minneapolis and ended in Columbus. We
include it here because of where the incident began, and because the shooting
allegedly involved the MPD.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Thanks, Jan. My impression is that killings by cops have continued
unabated. Is this so? Have *any* cop unions, cop organizations,
training programs, etc. made any serious effort to promote change and
make the "system" less deadly? Listening to the ravings of the
Republicans and "moderate" Democrats it's hard to be
optimistic. I've read of a few police agencies hiring more people
with de-escalation skills.

Alan

At 12:39 PM 3/7/2022 -0600, Jan Nye wrote:
> For those who are curious about how many people have been killed in MN by
>police officers, the stories of many of them are available at the website
>of Communities United Against Police Brutality at: https://www.cuapb.org/
>Go to the Stolen Lives section and click on the Stolen Lives under the
>picture. There you will find the names of people killed by police actions
>and how they died. Surprisingly, a large number of these deaths do not
>involve firearms.
>
>One of the main causes of death involving police is high speed car chases.
>A number of the victims on their way somewhere have become collateral
>damage. Over the past year there has been a substantial increase in
>car-jackings, joy rides by youths, and road rage incidents possibly
>stemming from the frustrations of COVID-19 and exacerbated by the murder of
>George Floyd. In spite of changes to the rules of pursuit by officers, the
>death toll from peripheral victims is continuing to rise.
>
>Another cause of death from encounters with police is the Taser, once
>touted as an alternative to using a gun. Improper and/or injudicious use
>of the Taser or the use of multiple Tasers by police has resulted in
>premature deaths. The frequency of deaths coinciding with being tased has
>led to studies by the local medical community. Closer scrutiny of these
>studies have revealed disturbing news about the lack of ethics regarding
>informed consent.
>
>Deaths of people in custody are among the causes of death attributed to law
>officers working in jails and prisons. Over the years, a number of
>incarcerated people in need of medical help did not receive that help and
>and died while in custody. This negligence occurred in spite of the
>obligation on the jail personnel to monitor people on a regular basis and
>take action when needed. The number of people who die in custody is a
>largely unknown by the general public. In the most recent legislative
>session, activists got a bill passed (the Hardel Sherrell Act) in the
>legislature dealing with this problem. Mr. Sherrell died in custody after
>days of neglect, even though a jail nurse had reported his condition as
>serious. The company providing medical care for a number of prisons
>statewide has been fired and the doctor overseeing the company is being
>investigated.
>
>It can be safely assumed that there are many more deaths at the hands of
>police accidentally than by direct and intentional means. These deaths,
>known as "manslaughter", are nevertheless wrong and unnecessary, and are
>avoidable by following the rules and regulations spelled out in the
>extensive training given law enforcement trainees. So many deaths can be
>been prevented simply by following guidelines and using common sense.
>
>The list of Stolen Lives is growing as people become aware of it and wish
>to have their loved one's names added. The amount of names on the list is
>sad, and the stories are ones that create trauma that is ongoing through
>generations. If you know of a name that should be on the list, please let
>us know. You can contact us through our website, as cited above.
>
>Janet Nye
>Phillips
>
>
>Janet Nye
>Phillips Neighborhood, Minneapolis
>About/contact Janet Nye: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/janetnye
>
>
>1. Be civil! Please read the rules at http://e-democracy.org/rules.
> If you think a member is in violation, contact the forum manager at
> <email obscured> before continuing it on the list.
>
>2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
>
>
>------------------------
> Reply: Reply-All or visit
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Alan Muller posted at 10:13, pm, Mar 11, 2022:

“…My impression is that killings by cops have continued
unabated. Is this so? Have *any* cop unions, cop organizations,
training programs etc. made any serious effort to promote change and
make the "system" less deadly?”

The system is deadly, but not because of the killing by the police. The system
is deadly because of the killings of Blacks by mostly other Black people and to
a far lesser extent, the killings of white people by other white people. In
order to make the system “less deadly,” we will have to hire more cops. In
order to hire more high-quality cops, who reflect the neighborhoods they serve,
we will have to elect politicians who will have their backs, when unfairly
attacked and accused of crimes such as murder, when there is no evidence to
support those claims. We will have to hire police Chiefs based on their
qualifications rather than on their race, sex, or sexual orientation, and those
will also have the backs of the officers when they are unfairly attacked.

According to the Washington Post, Fatal Force Database on police shootings, in
the United States 1017 people have been shot and killed by the police in the
past year.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/

According to Mapping Police Violence: “1,134 people were killed by police in
2021.” https://policeviolencereport.org
Note: The difference in the two numbers is partially due to the inclusion of
all people killed by the police in the larger figure. The smaller figure just
includes police shooting deaths.

According to Statista: “As of March 2021, 165 Black people were killed by the
police in the United States only in that year. This compares to 124 Hispanics,
11 Native Americans, and 314 White people. The rate of police shootings of
Black Americans is much higher than any other ethnicity, at 37 per million
people. This rate stands at 28 per million for Hispanics and 15 per million for
Whites.”
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1123070/police-shootings-rate-ethnicity-us/

At first glance, that would tend to support the notion that Blacks are
disproportionately killed by the police, but, according to an article in the
Wall Street Journal::
“The Myth of Systemic Police Racism: Hold officers accountable who use
excessive force. But there’s no evidence of widespread racial bias.” “By
Heather Mac Donald, June 2, 2020, 1:44 pm

“ George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis has revived the Obama-era narrative that
law enforcement is endemically racist. On Friday, Barack Obama tweeted that for
millions of black Americans, being treated differently by the criminal justice
system on account of race is “tragically, painfully, maddeningly ‘normal.’ ”
Mr. Obama called on the police and the public to create a “new normal,” in
which bigotry no longer “infects our institutions and our hearts.”

“Joe Biden released a video the same day in which he asserted that all
African-Americans fear for their safety from “bad police” and black children
must be instructed to tolerate police abuse just so they can “make it home.”
That echoed a claim Mr. Obama made after the ambush murder of five Dallas
officers in July 2016. During their memorial service, the president said
African-American parents were right to fear that their children may be killed
by police officers whenever they go outside…”

According to McDonald, “In 2018, the latest year for which such data have been
published, African-Americans made up 53% of known homicide offenders in the
U.S. and commit[ed] about 60% of robberies, though they are 13% of the
population,”

Yet of the 996 fatal police shootings in 2018, only 209, or 21 percent,
involved black suspects, meaning, according to Mac Donald, that the share of
black suspects shot by the police was in fact “less than what the black crime
rate would predict.”
According to the Washington Post, Fatal Force Database, on average, about 15
people of all races are unjustly killed by the police each year in the United
States. Just in Minneapolis, 96 people were murdered on the street by other
members of the community. According to former Police Chief Arradondo, 85% of
the victims look like me (Black) and 85% of the perpetrators, also look like me
(Black), but without the uniform.

On February 2, 2022, The Minneapolis Star Tribune compiled a list of police
killings in Minnesota, for the past 20 year period, called, “Every
police-involved death in Minnesota since 2000”. I did a count of those killed
by the police in Minneapolis in 2021. I counted 13 deaths at the hands of the
police for that time period.

Of those, the only one I remember where people claimed that the killing was
unjust was the shooting death of Winston Smith, which occurred in Uptown
Minneapolis. There, officers from multiple agencies were attempting to take
Smith into custody for violent offenses involving firearms. Smith had also
threatened to kill police officers in his social media posts. According to an
investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, he was shot, after firing
at the police officers who were attempting to take him into custody. A gun was
recovered at the scene. The case was handed over to the Crow-Wing County
Prosecutors office, which did not bring charges against any of the involved
officers.

Of those killed by the police in Minneapolis, in 2021, the racial breakdown was
as follows.
7 White
3 Black
2 Hispanic
1 Multiracial

It is simply not true that African Americans are disproportionately killed by
the police when the number of crimes committed by African Americans compared to
other races is taken into account.

On the other hand, and partly because of this false narrative that Blacks are
being disproportionally killed by the police, there have been far more
homicides and assaults on police officers, in 2021. According to the FBI:
“…statistics reported to the FBI, 59 police officers were killed in the line of
duty from January 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021. This marks a 51 percent
increase in the number of police officers killed when compared to the same
period last year.

"Nationally, 60,105 law enforcement officers were assaulted while performing
their duties in 2020. These assaults were reported to the FBI by 9,895 law
enforcement agencies. Based on these reports, there were 4,071 more officers
assaulted in 2020 than the 56,034 assaults reported in 2019."
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/dallas/news/press-releases/fbi-releases-statistics-for-law-enforcement-officers-assaulted-and-killed-in-the-line-of-duty

Far more police officers are unjustly killed by civilians of all races, than
are civilians, of all races, unjustly killed by the police.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Correction: The following sentencd should have said, In 2021, just in
Minneapolis, 96 people were murdered on the street by other members of the
community." instead of "Just in Minneapolis, 96 people were murdered on the
street by other members of the community."

CJ

CJ Sparrow posted at 8:05 pm, Mar 11, 2022:
I forgot to note that this post was about the fifth person on the CUAPB list of
"stolen lives."

I also did not mention that, because Jason P. Barsness had used a firearm in
the commission of a crime, when he carjacked and robbed the cab driver, and he
had pointed a gun at the officers attempting to arrest him, he had at least one
gun. While none of the news articles say so, it can be assumed that the police
confiscated at least one gun at the scene. If so they got yet another illegal
gun, or guns, off the street, possibly saving many other lives.

I would like to ask Alan Muller, Janet Nye, Dave Bicking, Michelle Gross, and
all of CUAPB, who have all expressed an interest in saving lives, to help me
give a HUGE thank you to the officers, who risked their lives to arrested Jason
P. Barsness and get his gun(s) off the street.

If we criticize police officers when they make mistakes, as we should, we
should also complement and thank them when they do something right, especially,
when it involves putting their own lives at risk, as happened this time.

So, all together now - Thank You. I can't hear you! THANK YOU! Good, that's
much better!

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

CJ Sparrow posted at 11:43 pm, Mar 12, 2022:

Correction: In the following section of the post just referenced, I used the
word Minneapolis in two places where the word Minnesota was the correct word to
use. Here is that section of the post as it should have appeared.

"On February 2, 2022, The Minneapolis Star Tribune compiled a list of police
involve killings in Minnesota, for the past 20 year period, called, “Every
police-involved death in Minnesota since 2000”. I did a count of just those
killed
by the police in 2021. I counted 13 deaths at the hands of the police for that
time period.

"Of those, the only one I remember where people claimed that the killing was
unjust was the shooting death of Winston Smith, which occurred in Uptown
Minneapolis. According to an investigation by the Bureau of Criminal
Apprehension, he was shot, after firing at the police officers who were
attempting to take him into custody. A gun was recovered at the scene. Smith
had also threatened to kill police officers in his social media posts. The case
was handed over to the Crow-Wing County Prosecutors office, which did not bring
charges against any of the involved officers.

"Of those killed by the police in Minnesota, in 2021, the racial breakdown was
as follows.
7 White
3 Black
2 Hispanic
1 Multiracial"
https://www.startribune.com/every-police-involved-death-in-Minnesota-since-2000/502088871/

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

The sixth individual to be listed by CUAPB, as someone who had their life
“stolen” by the Minneapolis PD, is Mario Benjamin. Benjamin died on August 2,
2019, in Minneapolis. He was killed by Minneapolis PD, officer, Jason Wolff.

According to CUAPB “Stolen Lives: “Mario, 34, was shot to death by Minneapolis
police after he was involved in a domestic violence incident. He is alleged to
have shot his long-time companion.”

According to WCCO TV: “[When police arrived] Benjamin soon stood up while they
attended to her, “and they realized a tan pistol was in his right hand —
concluding that he had shot the woman.” Officers then told him to drop the gun,
but their commands were ignored. Wolff fired six shots at Benjamin, striking
him at least five times, a release says. Toxicology test results later revealed
that Benjamin had amphetamine, methamphetamine, naproxen and THC in his system
at the time of the shooting.

According to KARE 11, “The decision by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman
follows what he calls "an extensive investigation" by the Minnesota Bureau of
Criminal Apprehension into the death of Mario Benjamin early the morning of
Aug. 2, 2019.”

"After a detailed review and evaluation of all evidence presented to our
office, we have determined that the deadly force used by Minneapolis Police
Officer Jason Wolff was not criminal and was objectively reasonable and
necessary in order to protect himself, Minneapolis Police Officer Davis, the
woman, and her children,” Freeman said in a released statement.

“ A statement from the Hennepin County Attorney, said in part, “Mario Benjamin
was a dangerous individual. He senselessly shot his former partner in front of
their children. The gunshot wound left the woman paralyzed from the waist down
for a significant period of time. He also refused to submit to repeated police
requests to drop his weapon.

We judge the implication that MPD officer Jason Wolf stole Mario Benjamin’s
life as, not supported by the facts, and therefore false. In addition to the
lives possibly saved that day, the police were able to get another gun off the
street, thereby possibly saving more lives in the future. For that, they
deserve our thanks.
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/03/02/minneapolis-police-officer-cleared-in-shooting-death-of-mario-benjamin-last-august/

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/no-charges-against-mpls-officer-in-fatal-shooting-of-mario-benjamin/89-9b1447ee-1412-4bd3-9d59-a6b379b1ea82

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

The leadership of the Minneapolis Police Department don't seem to care much
about improving police performance. The Police Federation and the Mayor
are now engaged in getting their contract pushed through.

Early on in the contract process, a group of concerned Minneapolis
residents (Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract:
https://www.mplsforabetterpolicecontract.org ) spent time "scrubbing" the
contract over a period of about two years and came up with some solid
suggestions. The group wanted to sit in on the initial sessions, which are
open to the public. The city would not give the group the information they
needed to attend the negotiation sessions. The group was then quickly
stymied when the union, in a calculated effort to keep the public out of
the process, went into mediation early on. None of the proposed changes
suggested by Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract, which were
considered by the Federation at the outset of the process, were adopted.
(Go to above link for asks.) This is a pretty blatant statement that the
public has no say in what goes on with the MPD.

Is there an entity that stands above the federation that must be dealt with
when officers are not disciplined by the system in place to handle police
misbehavior? In Minnesota, we have the POST board, (Police Officers
Standards and Training). In the past, it has done nothing to discipline or
revoke the license of wayward officers, although it has had the power to do
that. Recently leadership has changed and the new chair, Kelly McCarthy,
is leading the way to a functional board that actually will do what it is
supposed to.....discipline officers and sometimes revoke an officer's
license. The board also has other important functions, one being
determining the appropriate training of officers. Meetings of the POST
board happen four times a year. The meetings are online:
https://dps.mn.gov/entity/post/Pages/default.aspx

Janet Nye
Phillips

Rest of post

On Fri, Mar 11, 2022 at 4:13 PM Alan Muller <<email obscured>> wrote:

> Thanks, Jan. My impression is that killings by cops have continued
> unabated. Is this so? Have *any* cop unions, cop organizations,
> training programs, etc. made any serious effort to promote change and
> make the "system" less deadly? Listening to the ravings of the
> Republicans and "moderate" Democrats it's hard to be
> optimistic. I've read of a few police agencies hiring more people
> with de-escalation skills.
>
> Alan
>
> At 12:39 PM 3/7/2022 -0600, Jan Nye wrote:
> > For those who are curious about how many people have been killed in MN
> by
> >police officers, the stories of many of them are available at the website
> >of Communities United Against Police Brutality at: https://www.cuapb.org/
> >Go to the Stolen Lives section and click on the Stolen Lives under the
> >picture. There you will find the names of people killed by police
> actions
> >and how they died. Surprisingly, a large number of these deaths do not
> >involve firearms.
> >
> >One of the main causes of death involving police is high speed car chases.
> >A number of the victims on their way somewhere have become collateral
> >damage. Over the past year there has been a substantial increase in
> >car-jackings, joy rides by youths, and road rage incidents possibly
> >stemming from the frustrations of COVID-19 and exacerbated by the murder
> of
> >George Floyd. In spite of changes to the rules of pursuit by officers,
> the
> >death toll from peripheral victims is continuing to rise.
> >
> >Another cause of death from encounters with police is the Taser, once
> >touted as an alternative to using a gun. Improper and/or injudicious use
> >of the Taser or the use of multiple Tasers by police has resulted in
> >premature deaths. The frequency of deaths coinciding with being tased has
> >led to studies by the local medical community. Closer scrutiny of these
> >studies have revealed disturbing news about the lack of ethics regarding
> >informed consent.
> >
> >Deaths of people in custody are among the causes of death attributed to
> law
> >officers working in jails and prisons. Over the years, a number of
> >incarcerated people in need of medical help did not receive that help and
> >and died while in custody. This negligence occurred in spite of the
> >obligation on the jail personnel to monitor people on a regular basis and
> >take action when needed. The number of people who die in custody is a
> >largely unknown by the general public. In the most recent legislative
> >session, activists got a bill passed (the Hardel Sherrell Act) in the
> >legislature dealing with this problem. Mr. Sherrell died in custody after
> >days of neglect, even though a jail nurse had reported his condition as
> >serious. The company providing medical care for a number of prisons
> >statewide has been fired and the doctor overseeing the company is being
> >investigated.
> >
> >It can be safely assumed that there are many more deaths at the hands of
> >police accidentally than by direct and intentional means. These deaths,
> >known as "manslaughter", are nevertheless wrong and unnecessary, and are
> >avoidable by following the rules and regulations spelled out in the
> >extensive training given law enforcement trainees. So many deaths can be
> >been prevented simply by following guidelines and using common sense.
> >
> >The list of Stolen Lives is growing as people become aware of it and wish
> >to have their loved one's names added. The amount of names on the list is
> >sad, and the stories are ones that create trauma that is ongoing through
> >generations. If you know of a name that should be on the list, please let
> >us know. You can contact us through our website, as cited above.
> >
> >Janet Nye
> >Phillips
> >
> >
> >Janet Nye
> >Phillips Neighborhood, Minneapolis
> >About/contact Janet Nye: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/janetnye
> >
> >
> >1. Be civil! Please read the rules at http://e-democracy.org/rules.
> > If you think a member is in violation, contact the forum manager at
> > <email obscured> before continuing it on the list.
> >
> >2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
> >
> >
> >------------------------
> > Reply: Reply-All or visit
> > http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/77BsIwSStmBDD1IUGuE8x7
> > New Topic: mpls@forums.e-democracy.org
> > Digest: Subject: digest on
> > Leave: Subject: unsubscribe
> > Forum Home: http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Help? http://e-democracy.org/support Hosting: http://OnlineGroups.Net
>
>

The seventh perosn listed, who, according to CUAPB's list of "stolen lives" was
"stolen"by the Minneapolis PD, is Thurman “June” Blevins. Blevins died June
23, 2018, in Minneapolis. He was shot by the Minneapolis PD officers, Justin
Schmidt, and Ryan Kelly.

According to CUAPB, "Stolen Lives: "Thurman, 31, was sitting with his family on
a curb at 46th and Aldrich when Minneapolis Police Officers Justin Schmidt and
Ryan Kelly pulled up on him, immediately exiting the car screaming at him. He
took off running, pleading for his life. Schmidt and Kelly shot at him multiple
times, hitting him in the back at least 4 times. Although he had a gun in his
pocket, he never pointed it or shot at police. A 911 caller had previously
reported a man in the neighborhood shooting into the air but Thurman did not
match the description."

Read the article linked below, from WCCO TV, to get another perspective on the
events leading to the fatal shooting of Blevins.
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2018/07/29/city-releases-body-camera-video-of-blevins-shooting-death/

Watch the video at the link below. See for yourself if the gun remained in
Blevins pocket, or, if he had the gun in his hand and pointed in the general
direction of the police officers when he was shot. See for yourself, if
following numerous warnings, several waarning shots, and a protacted foot chase
through a residential neighborhood, Blevins was shot in self defense.

We rule the implied allegatin that Blevins' life was "stolen" by the Minnapolis
police officers, is false. Furthermore, because of the video that was released,
CUAPB has to know it is false. That makes the narrative about Blevins' "stolen
life," not just false but a lie.

https://events.qwikcast.tv/public/QwikCast/QwikCastEventById?eventKey=3396df78-c642-4180-be5b-92f1c270b281&;eventPageId=22391

Theodore Bobo is the eighth person on CUAPB’s list of stolen lives.

Bobo died on February 9, 1992, in Minneapolis. He was shot by five members of
the Minneapolis PD.

According to PUAPB’s list of “stolen lives, ”Theodore [Bobo] was involved in an
altercation with his ex-girlfriend. He was hugging her when five police
officers broke into the house and shot Theodore 8 to 9 times. All five officers
were involved in the shooting. His ex-girlfriend and other witnesses stated
that it was unnecessary to shoot Theodore. He was 24 years old. “

Unfortunately, the above narrative left out one key part of the story, as it
was reported by MPR. “Theodore Bobo was killed by Minneapolis Police in a
high-profile incident February 9, 1992, while he held a knife to the throat of
his ex-girlfriend, Nikki Howard”

Given that critical omission of information, without which this incident cannot
be fully understood, we rate the implication that this was an incident
involving a “life stolen” by police officers, as false.

At a rally at City Hall, demanding justice for Bobo, Star Tribune reporter,
Mark Brunswick was ruffed up and physically removed, when he refused to leave.
He had written a story that portrayed the woman threatened by Bobo as the
victim, rather than Bobo himself, thereby contradicting the narrative being put
forward by the protesters. A spokesperson for the Star Tribune said they were
not going to press charges against the protesters.
https://archive.mpr.org/stories/1992/02/14/demands-and-rally-for-theodore-bobo

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Walter C. “Wally” Burks died August 7, 2003, in Minneapolis. He is the ninth
person on CUAPB’s list of “stolen lives” who was killed in Minneapolis.

According to CUAPB’s list of “stolen lives”:
“Wally entered a convenience store in downtown Minneapolis and asked repeatedly
for help as he was experiencing chest pain. Store clerks and customers called
police but held Wally down on the floor until police arrived. Police used
Freeze Plus P (combination pepper spray and tear gas) and Taser on Wally, who
was incoherent and unresponsive. Wally was a very large man, over 300 pounds.
He was placed face down on the seat of the squad car, handcuffed behind and
with legs bent up into a functional hobble tie and left that way for 27
minutes. He was dead on arrival at Hennepin County Medical Center. See a
detailed analysis of this case at www.cuapb.org.”

The above narrative stating that “Wally was a very large man, over 300 pounds,”
contradicts another document about this case, that was also put out by CUAPB.
That document is titled, “THE DEATH OF WALTER C. BURKS, An Analysis of Police
Actions By Communities United Against Police Brutality April 12, 2004.” That
document also by CUAPB states, “Mr. Burks was approximately 5" 10" and weighed
between 225 and 250 lbs. There is a huge difference between those two
descriptions, but neither of them tells us anything about how much of Burk’s
weight was in body fat vs muscle. A 5" 10" male, weighing in at 225 to 250
lbs,” is the size of a typical NFL running back. They could be more dangerous,
than a person who had a lot of his weight in body fat, and they would also be
someone that would be less likely to suffer negative consequences from being
left in a prone position for 27 minutes.
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/cuapb/pages/44/attachments/original/1574619917/Burks_Case_Analysis.pdf?1574619917

I encourage readers of this forum to read the entire document. It is the only
example, so far, of CUAPB, attempting to document any of its assertions
regarding the CUAPB’s list of “stolen lives”.

I think there are some lessons the MPD, and other police departments could
learn , and hopefully have learned, from this incident. One thing that stands
out is the need to have medical personnel called, in, not instead of, but
rather, alongside, police officers when the need for medical personnel is
known.

In this case, I would want to hear the entire call to 911, to get a better idea
of what could have or should have been gleaned from the caller. Perhaps the 911
operator was negligent in not asking the right questions or enough questions,
questions which may have provided the information needed to determine if this
was a call requiring someone with medical or psychiatric training.

According to this document, the squad car received a call about an “assaultive
male.” If the officers had more information, especially about his previous
incoherent statements, and expressions about being in fear, that may have put
the officers in a whole different mindset. It could, for example, have made
them less concerned about the possibility of Burk injuring them, or someone
else. Being less concerned about having to confront an “assaultive male,” may
have left more room for empathy, on their part.

We find the implication that Walter Burk’s life was “stolen” partly true. His
life was stolen, not so much by the officers involved in his arrest but rather
by an, at that time, possibly ineffective emergency response system.

That event also happened before it was common to have medical, or psychiatric
personnel accompany police officers at those kinds of calls. Fortunately, that
is happening more often now. Even though these officers may have been trained
as Crisis Intervention Specialists, psychiatric evaluation and care is still
not their main area of expertise. I think this is an area requiring medical and
psychiatric specialists, as well as law enforcement personnel to be available
if needed.

>From my personal experience in calling for help for a relative with mental
health issues, the system works better now, but it is still not perfect.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Note regarding the above post: There are two other contradictions, between the
two CUAPB documents besides the one already noted about Walter Burks's size and
weight. The CUAPB list of "stolen live," says "Wally entered a convenience
store in downtown Minneapolis and asked repeatedly for help as he was
experiencing chest pain.

The document that is specifically about Walter Burks, doesn’t mention chest, or
any other physical pain. It says, “A witness (JCM) stated that Burks entered
the store "looking frightened" and that he told a store clerk "help me, help
me, I need help." The store clerk (Jackie) told him he needed to leave. Burks
went behind the counter of the SuperAmerica, into the employee area and grabbed
Jackie on the shoulders, telling her "please help me" and "someone is trying to
hurt me.” This document includes the following, as well, “While they were on
the ground with Burks, he told Veronica that his mother had recently passed
away and that he also was going to die. According to JCM, Burks then told them,
"I want to say something before I die." Veronica told Burks, "you ain't gonna
die" while JCM said, "say whatever you want, we will listen to you." At that
point, Burks calmed down.” None of that was mentioned in the “Stolen Lives”
document.

The “Stolen Lives” document also says, [Walter Burks] was dead on arrival at
Hennepin County Medical Center.” The other document says, “[After arriving at
HCMC, HCMC Officers, Denne Nelson and Linda Oliver arrived along with CIC
Registered Nurse Loretta Pederson. Pederson looked in briefly at Burks and she
determined that he was breathing at the time… A handcuff was removed and
Pederson tried again unsuccessfully to get vital sign readings. Pederson asked
aloud, "Is he still breathing?" At that point, McCann, Nelson, Oliver and
Pederson all report hearing a loud gasp or respiration and then no further
breaths. Burks was rolled to his side and Pederson borrowed a flashlight from
one of the security officers and checked for pupillary response. There was
none. A code was called and the code team arrived 12 seconds later. Despite
efforts to resuscitate Burks, he was pronounced dead a short while later.

While not a discrepancy, the actual wording of the 911 call included the
sentence, ”male came ins [sic] and attacked cashier...now customers holding him
down," instead of just the phrase “assaultive male” that was reported to the
responding squad car.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Christopher Burns is the tenth person killed in Minneapolis from the CUAPB
“stolen lives” list. Burns died in Minneapolis, on November 1, 2002. He was
allegedly killed by two members of the Minneapolis PD, Lucas Peterson, and Mark
Johnson.

According to PUAPB “stolen lives” list:
“Minneapolis police violently ended the life of 44-year-old Christopher. Chris
was arguing with his significant other, as couples sometimes do, but there was
no physical violence involved. Police rushed into the couple’s bedroom,
handcuffed Chris, threw him down on the bed, kneeled on his back, put a
flashlight under his chin and yanked back violently. He died immediately from a
broken neck.”

According to the Star Tribune, “On Nov. 1 of [2002], the officers had responded
to a reported domestic dispute between Burns and his fiancée, Bernadine
McWhorter, when they put him in a neck hold that led to cardiac arrest, the
complaint said. The Hennepin County medical examiner ruled Burns’ death a
homicide. In 2003, a grand jury determined that the officer’s use of a neck
hold was appropriate to subdue
Burns…https://www.startribune.com/13-excessive-force-complaints-against-minneapolis-cop-involved-in-shooting/213718651/

The allegation of “He died immediately from a broken neck,” contradicts the
Star Tribunes, version of the events, “they put him in a neck hold that led to
cardiac arrest.”
None of the newspaper reports I read agreed with CUAPB’s assertion that Burns
died from a broken neck. Based on that contradiction with the news reports of
the incident, and lacking further evidence, we have to rate the CUAPB’s “stolen
lives” narrative as at least partially false. We would have to see a police
report and an autopsy report etc. to make a further judgment. More information
is available on the death of Christopher Burns in the CUAPB Newsletter from
December 16, 2002, but it is just more of the same unsourced allegations.
https://www.cuapb.org/12_16_2002_newsletter

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Note: The link to the Star Tribune article above didn't work. Here it is again.
https://www.startribune.com/13-excessive-force-complaints-against-minneapolis-cop-involved-in-shooting/213718651/?refresh=true

CJ Sparrow

Marcus J Burrell, 38, died on February 13, 2008, in Minneapolis while in the
custody of the Minneapolis P.D. He is the eleventh person on the CUAPB list of
"stolen lives," who was allegedly killed, or at least died, in Minneapolis, at
the hands of the police.

According to PUAPB, "Marcus J Burrell, 38, died in police custody during a
traffic stop. After being cuffed and placed in the back of the squad he began
having difficulty breathing. Police claim he had a bag of cocaine in his
throat."

According to twincities.com [Pioneer Press], "Marcus J. Burrell, 38, whose
address was unknown, was pulled over by patrol officers about 2:30 a.m. at the
corner of 23rd Avenue and Northeast Grand Street. Police said he acted
suspicious, did not immediately stop and was arrested on suspicion of driving
while intoxicated.

While sitting handcuffed in the rear of the police car, Burrell began
“exhibiting signs of a medical emergency,” according to police. An ambulance
was called to the scene, and paramedics removed a plastic bag of what is
believed to be crack cocaine from his airway, police said.

Burrell was pronounced dead a short time later at North Memorial Medical
Center..."

Here again, a man has been put on a list of CUAPB "stolen lives," implying
that his life has been stolen by the MPD, without even a specific allegation
and without evidence of wrongdoing, of any kind, by the police. We rule that
this implied allegation is false.
https://www.twincities.com/2008/02/13/minneapolis-man-dies-in-custody-after-traffic-stop/

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Steve Winkel and Steve Carlson died in Minneapolis on November 27, 1998, and
December 5, 1998. They are the twelfth and thirteenth people, on the PUAPB list
of "stolen lives," whose lives were allegedly “stolen” by the police in
Minneapolis.

According to PUAPB “stolen lives” “On November 27, 1998, Jeff, age 23, and
Steve Winkel, age 27, were driving in Steve’s pickup truck when Minneapolis
police officer Douglas Leiter ran a red light and crashed into the truck.
Leiter was apparently in pursuit of a burglary suspect but his squad car did
not have lights or siren on at the time of the accident. Jeff died immediately;
Steve’s family removed him from life support eight days later. The city settled
its case with the families for $600,000.”

According to twincities,com [Pioneer Press] “In 1998, some 3 1/2 years after
[Douglas Leiter] had joined the Minneapolis Police Department, he was driving a
squad car in a pursuit when he ran a red light and hit a pickup truck, killing
two men.

"A police investigation concluded that Leiter didn’t have his lights or siren
on during the chase, but Leiter claimed his rotating lights were activated. He
was charged with careless driving, speeding, and running a stop sign, but a
judge threw those charges out.
The families of the two dead men each got $300,000 from the city and $100,000
from the city’s insurance company.”

We find that Steve Winkel, and Steve Carlson’s lives may very well have been
stolen, because of carelessness, and/or possibly mental illness on the part of
officer, Douglas Leiter. (See full article below)
https://www.twincities.com/2009/08/18/former-minneapolis-cop-gets-10-years-for-tax-evasion/

We rule that the PUAPB’s allegations, in this instance, are probably mostly
true.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

---- On Tue, 22 Mar 2022 22:58:26 -0500 CJ Sparrow
<mailto:<email obscured>> wrote ----

We rule that the PUAPB’s allegations, in this instance, are probably mostly
true.

"We"? I'm pretty sure you're not royalty, better get that tapeworm taken care
of, CJ.

Dave Garland posted Mar 2022 at 6:00 am:

"'We'? I'm pretty sure you're not royalty, better get that tapeworm taken care
of, CJ."

My response to Dave Garland: Rather than discuss the merits of the term "we",
in the context in which I have used it, wouldnt it be more important to address
the relative veracity of the assertions made by the PUAPB "stolen lives"list,
v.s. my assertions regarding that list. If you wish to be taken seriously you
will choose the second option. If you dont wish to be taken seriously dont wast
our time. *We* have more important things to deal with.

Accordng to Wikipedia:

"Editorial we
The editorial we is a similar phenomenon, [to the royal we] in which an
editorial columnist in a newspaper or a similar commentator in another medium
refers to themselves as we when giving their opinion. Here, the writer casts
themselves in the role of spokesperson: either for the media institution who
employs them, or on behalf of the party or body of citizens who agree with the
commentary.[9] The reference is not explicit, but is generally consistent with
first-person plural.

"Author's we
The author's we, or pluralis modestiae, is a practice referring to a generic
third person as we (instead of one or the informal you):
By adding four and five, we obtain nine.
We are therefore led also to a definition of "time" in physics. — Albert
Einstein..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We

While I am no Einstein, if the term "we" is good enough for him, I guess it is
good enough for me too.

For more on this see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosism#pluralis_modestiae

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Javier Cedillo-Brito allegedly died on August 10, 2000, in Minneapolis. He is
the fourteenth person on the CUAPB “stolen lives” list alleged to have died as
a result of contact with law enforcement or because of being incarcerated in
Minneapolis.

According to the PUAPB list of “stolen lives,” “Javier, 25, died after his car
was struck by a car being chased by Minneapolis police for reckless driving.”

During a brief internet search, we could find nothing under either the name of
the alleged victim or the police officer allegedly involved in this incident.
If anyone has or can find more on this please let us know.

However, even if the limited information in the scenario described PUAPB is
accurate, that does not imply that there was wrongdoing by the police officer
involved in the chase. Unless the officer was, negligent in following proper
police procedures, he cannot be held liable for what another driver does. The
law allows for police chases in certain circumstances, without which it would
be difficult to apprehend lawbreakers.

Until we get more information we judge the allegations made in the PUAPB
“stolen lives” document as unsubstantiated by the known facts in this case.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Jamar Clark died on November 15, 2015, in Minneapolis. He was shot by officer
Dustin Schwarze after Officer Mark Ringgenberg’s told him to do so. He is the
fifteenth person, who was allegedly killed as a result of an encounter with
MPD, or as a result of having been incarcerated in Minneapolis.

According to PUAPB, “stolen lives” document: “Police responded to a report of
an injury at a party when Jamar, 24, allegedly interfered with paramedics
helping the injured party. Ofc. Mark Ringgenberg took Jamar down from behind
and fell on top of him. Ringgenberg told Minneapolis police officer Dustin
Schwarze to shoot Jamar, and he did. Several witnesses said that Jamar was
handcuffed when he was shot. MPD officers flooded the area and seized cell
phones that had captured the incident. Jamar's death and the failure to
prosecute the cops involved triggered a wave of protests.”

I studied and wrote about this shooting extensively, from shortly after it
occurred, until after the U.S. Justice Department investigation concluded. The
following is one of several articles I wrote regarding that incident. I
published it on my blog, occupirate.blogspot.com. I also published a version of
it on this forum, and I have linked to it many times. It is a good rebuttal to
the CUAPB, “stolen lives’ narrative as well.

What will it take for Ed Felien, Southside Pride, and the Twin Cities Coalition
for Justice 4 Jamar to believe that Jamar Clark received justice?
http://occupirate.blogspot.com/2021/06/what-will-iet-take-for-ed-felien-and.html

We judge the narrative put out by PUAPB, "stolen lives" to be false. We also
believe that CUAPB knows its narrative is false. Therefore it is a lie.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Steve Cole died on April 13, 1994, in Minneapolis. He was allegedly shot by two
MPD officers. Cole is the sixteenth person who was alleged by PUAPB “stolen
lives” document, to have been killed by law enforcement, or who died while in
custody in Minneapolis.
According to the PUAPB “stolen lives” document, “Steve, age 23, was visiting a
friend in the 3100 block of Grand Avenue in Minneapolis. He stepped outside for
some fresh air. Police arrived and claimed that Cole had a knife in each hand,
though several witnesses disputed this. Police were at least 25 feet away from
Cole when officers Curtis Graff and David Ploeger opened fire, striking Cole
several times. He died 90 minutes later at a hospital.”

We couldn’t find anything on Steve Cole during an internet search. There is
insufficient information on this shooting to determine the veracity of the
implied allegation in the PUAPB “stolen lives” document. Therefore, we judge
the implied allegations to be unsubstantiated.

Note: Former police officer, Curtis Graff’s name did come up in an internet
search, although not in the context of the shooting death of Steve Cole.
Instead, he was the guest on a podcast where he talks about his view of
policing after the death of George Floyd. He also talked about the Kim Potter
incident. I would highly recommend listening to it if you want to get the
perspective of a recently retired Minneapolis Police officer.
https://bighonker.libsyn.com/episode-430-curtis-graff

Curtis Graff’s name also came up in a Minnesota Supreme Court case, where Graff
was suing his insurance agent and the insurance company.
https://mn.gov/law-library-stat/archive/supct/1107/OPA090173-0713.pdf

He also has a Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/curtis.graff/?show_switched_toast=0&;show_invite_to_follow=0&;show_switched_tooltip=0&;show_podcast_settings=0&;show_community_transition=0&;show_community_review_changes=0
David Ploeger’s name came up too. He was the supervising officer in the George
Floyd incident. He was called to testify by the Prosecution against Derick
Chauvin.
https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/04/01/chauvins-former-supervisor-testifies-restraint

His name also came up in a legal case involving the arrest of an alleged sex
worker, in a massage parlor. He is alleged to have fondled the woman's breast
prior to arresting her for prostitution.
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/cuapb/pages/270/attachments/original/1509685968/David_Pleoger_Article.pdf?1509685968

Both of the police officers' names came up other places too, but they did not
seem especially interesting. If you check them out, let us know if you find
anything good.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Walter Collins died on October 10, 2003, in Minneapolis. He is the seventeenth
person on the PUAPB “stolen lives” document, alleged to have been killed by
Minneapolis law enforcement, or who was a person who died while in custody in
Minneapolis.

According to the PUAPB “stolen lives” document: “Walter, 21, and a friend were
in south Minneapolis when their car broke down. Officer Jamie Conway and
another cop started chasing them on foot and shot and killed Walter, unarmed,
as he fled. His friend was also shot but survived.”

According to the Star Tribune Collins was armed and according to the Police
Chief, Olson, a gun was found near where he was shot. “‘Walter Collins ran from
police. He reached for a gun and was shot by police.’ Chief Olson said” The
police stopped Collins on the 2200 block of Park Ave, about 4:45 am, for what
they thought was a drug deal. Charles Greaves had been with the MPD for 8
years. Jamie Conway for 7. During that time they have had no disciplinary
action taken against them.

Collins had been arrested several times, once for fleeing a police officer in
2021. He was also charged earlier that year for aggravated robbery of two
people in Peavy Park, just around the corner from where he was shot. The
charges were dropped when the alleged victims did not show up in court to
testify. Olson said there had been six drug-related deaths within two blocks
of where Collins was shot in the past two weeks. Some of it has been the result
of feuding between three gangs. Colins had been shot twice in two different
incidents previously. He had spent time in a juvenile detention facility in Red
Wing MN.

Colin's parents said they don’t believe the police version of how Collins was
shot. They filed a wrongful death lawsuit against officer Jamie Conway.
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/cuapb/pages/270/attachments/original/1614973365/Conway_Star_Tribune_Sat__Oct_11__2003__%281%29-merged.pdf?1614973365

On May 2, 2006, The Star Tribune reported that the jury cleared Conway in the
shooting death of Collins.

The description of the events as portrayed by CUAPB are, at best, incomplete,
and in view of the verdict by the jury, that was empowered to decide on any
issues of wrongdoing, probably incorrect. We judge the allegations by the PUAPB
“stolen lives” document to be false. Accordingly, we would like to thank the
police officers, JamieConway and Charles Greaves for getting another illegal
gun off the streets.
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/cuapb/pages/270/attachments/original/1614973613/Conway_Star_Tribune_Tue__May_2__2006_.pdf?1614973613

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Correction: In several of the above posts I have been using the false acronym,
"PUAPB," instead of "CUAPB," to refer to Communities United Against Police
Brutality. I am sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

CJ Sparrow

Delshawn Crawford is the eighteenth person on the CUAPB list of “stolen lives.”
According to the CUAPB “stolen lives” document: “Delshawn, 40, was shot and
killed by Minneapolis police officers on May 12, 2012, after neighbors reported
a domestic disturbance. The police claim he brandished a knife at them, forcing
them to defend themselves; his girlfriend says the knife in question never left
the kitchen table.”

According to an MPR news report: Contrary to the above statement, “In the early
morning hours of May 12, 2012, 40-year-old DelShawn Crawford was drinking and
fighting with his girlfriend in her south Minneapolis apartment. Officers Chad
Meyer and Laurarose Turner responded to a 911 call made by a neighbor in the
building. Police say Crawford lunged at them with a knife before they opened
fire. But Crawford's girlfriend and others inside the apartment say Crawford
had put the knife down before he encountered the police officers.” The last
sentence in the above paragraph indicates that Crawford had been holding a
knife at some point, as he could not have “put the knife down before he
encountered the police officers,” had he not been holding it. Therefore, if
that is true, the above assertion in the “stolen lives” document, “the knife in
question never left the kitchen table,” is false.
The MPR report continues, “The two officers, both department veterans, were
cleared by a grand jury, but Crawford's family is seeking damages in the
millions of dollars.”
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/01/22/delshawn-crawford-minneapolis-police-shooting-lawsuit

In addition, according to Courthouse News Service, “..DelShawn Crawford's
family conceded in their federal complaint that Crawford was holding a knife
while he argued with his girlfriend, Brandy Lewis.”
https://www.courthousenews.com/minn-police-face-trial-over-fatal-shooting/

According to Legal.com, “Both Crawford and B. Lewis had been drinking. (B.
Lewis Dep. at 14, 18-21.) Crawford was intoxicated. (B. Lewis Video.) Crawford
and B. Lewis argued and Crawford became verbally and physically abusive. (Id.;
Davis Dep. at 39-40.) Despite attempts to intervene, Crawford and B. Lewis
continued to argue. (B. Lewis Video.) At some point, Crawford picked up a knife
from the kitchen drawer. (Id.) B. Lewis testified that she told Crawford "about
fifteen to twenty times" to put the knife down and to leave. (Id.) Eventually,
Crawford placed the knife on the dining table and started to move towards the
door. (Id.; B. Lewis Dep. at 21-23.) Crawford stood in front of the knife, such
that B. Lewis believed he would have reached it first if she tried to grab it.
(B. Lewis Video.)

"At 2:14 a.m., a neighbor called 911. (Fussy Aff. ¶ 15, Ex. 14 ("911 Audio").)
At 2:15 a.m., the responding Officers were told that the calling party could
hear a female yelling for someone "to put the knife down." (Id.) At 2:16 a.m.,
dispatch informed the Officers that the suspect had a knife, that the suspect
was known to run from the police, and that Crawford had been abusive in the
past. (Fussy Aff. ¶ 7, Ex. 6 ("Turner Dep.") at 26-27; id. ¶ 8, Ex. 7 ("Meyer
Dep.") at 16-17; 911 Audio.)” https://www.leagle.com/decision/infdco20151117a84

I was unable to find information on the results of the civil case against the
two officers involved. If anyone has or can get that information please let us
know.
Until we can get more information on this case, we rule the allegations against
the two police officers in the “stolen lives” document to be unsubstantiated by
the known facts. In addition, some of the known facts contradict at least one
important statement in the “stolen lives” document.

Note: There are many other links to news reports on this incident. You can
easily find them with a search on “Delshawn Crawford, Minneapolis”

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Justine Ruszczyk Damond died on July 15, 2017, in Minneapolis. She is the
nineteenth person on the PUAPB “stolen lives” document, alleged to have been
killed by law enforcement in Minneapolis, or a person who died while in custody
in Minneapolis.

According to the CUAPB “stolen lives” document: “Justine, 40, was an
Australian woman with dual citizenship. She was engaged to marry Don Damond, a
Minneapolis resident. On the evening of her death, Justine called 911 to report
a possible rape in the alley behind her home. MPD officers Mohamed M. Noor and
Matthew Harrity responded. As Harrity drove down the alley, Noor had his gun in
his lap. When they reached the end of the alley, Noor was allegedly startled by
a loud noise and the appearance of Justine at the driver's side window. He
quickly shot across his partner, fatally wounding Justine. There were no
videos, because the officers' body worn cameras and squad car video were not
activated. Noor was convicted of third degree murder and manslaughter and
sentenced to 12.5 years in prison. Her family settled with Minneapolis for $20
million, the second-largest payout in the country at the time.”

Surprisingly, in this case, the above narrative is consistent with the known
facts. We would only add that the police officer, who fired the fatal shot,
Mohammed Noor, is Black, (Somalian), and Justine Ruszczyk Damond was white.
These two facts are perhaps uncomfortable for CUAPB to acknowledge, because
they contradict the narrative that police shootings are committed by white
police officers, against Black victims, because white police officers are
largely made up of violent white supremacists.

We rule the the CUAPB narrative is correct, but incomplete. Two crucial facts
are left out, both of which are important for the full understanding of the
cause of, and possibly then, the corrective measures needed to prevent police
shootings.

It should also be noted that Noor had his murder charge overturned on appeal.
He is now convicted of only a manslaughter charge. He was sentenced to 12.5
years but now he can possibly released by the end of this 2022.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mohamed-noor-appeal-minneapolis-police-officer-murder-conviction-justine-ruszczyk-damond/

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

Rocco Dandrea is the twentieth person on the CUAPB “stolen lives” document,
alleged to have been killed by law enforcement in Minneapolis, or a person who
died while in custody in Minneapolis.

“Rocco Dandrea died on December 8, 1999, in Minneapolis.
According to the CUAPB “stolen lives” document: “Police claimed that Rocco,
age 42 and suffering from severe mental illness, pointed a plastic replica of a
gun at them. Police appear to have been startled when a bicyclist approached
the area and they opened fire, killing Rocco.”

According to an account of the incident in the Star Tribune: “Police responded
to a 911 call about a man with a gun near Washington and Cedar Avs. S. Police
repeatedly asked Dandrea to drop his gun but he turned toward them raised the
gun in their direction before one officer fired a round from a shotgun and
another fired from his handgun. Dandrea died at the scene. Police later
discovered that he was wielding a plastic toy replica gun. Incident: 12-8-1999.
Minneapolis PD.” Neither of the officers faced any charges.
https://www.startribune.com/police-involved-deaths-during-tenure-of-hennepin-county-attorney-amy-klobuchar/568259112/

We will let the readers decide if Rocco Dandrea’s life was stolen by the MPD,
as is implied by his name being included on the CUAPB “stolen lives” document.
Please leave your comments below.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

According to the CUAPB, Roger L. Davis died on April 12, 2006, in Minneapolis.
He is the twenty-first person on the CUAPB “stolen lives” document, alleged to
have been killed by law enforcement in Minneapolis, or who is a person who died
while in custody in Minneapolis.

According to the CUAPB "stolen lives" document, "Roger was a passenger in a car
that was involved in an accident after going on a low-speed chase with
Minneapolis police. He was killed when the car hit a tree. He was 27 years
old."

A brief search for Roger L. Davis, Minneapolis, yielded no results beyond the
CUAPB narrative. That narrative does not implicate MPD in any wrongdoing. A
“low-speed chase,” is not a violation of MPD policies, nor does it seem
unreasonable.

Unfortunately, CUAPB says nothing about why the car Davis was riding in was
being pursued by the police. The implication that Davis’s life was “stolen,” by
being included on the list of “stolen” lives is not supported by the available
information.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
occupirate.blogspot.com

According to the CUAPB, Benjamin DeCoteau died in Minneapolis on January 22,
2005. He is the twenty-second person on the CUAPB “stolen lives” document,
alleged to have been killed by law enforcement in Minneapolis.

According to the CUAPB “stolen lives” document, “Benjamin, unarmed, was shot by
Officer Mark Beaupre under suspicious circumstances. Police claim he was a gang
member but his family disputes this. A highly spiritual American Indian, he was
21 years old at the time of his death.”

CUAPB posted more on this case in a 1/27/2005 newsletter article
by Michelle Gross: “ANATOMY OF A CHARACTER ASSASSINATION Benjamin DeCoteau, 21,
was killed by Minneapolis police officer Mark Beaupre this past Saturday,
January 22, 2005. Circumstances surrounding the shooting are disputed, with
some witnesses stating that Benjamin was shot as he was fleeing…”

According to an article in the Star Tribune,
“Officer tagging cars to be towed said he noticed two men carrying guns and
went to check it out. After DeCoteau fired at his police van, an officer fired
back. Incident: 1-22-2005. Minneapolis PD.”
https://www.startribune.com/police-involved-deaths-during-tenure-of-hennepin-county-attorney-amy-klobuchar/568259112/

During a brief search, we found no additional information on the death of
Benjamin DeCoteau. We did see a Facebook page, which did not have any obvious
references to gang activity or illegal acts.
https://www.facebook.com/benjamindecoteau23

Without further information, we cannot confirm or refute the information that
appeared in the Star Tribune article above. We find the veracity of the CUAPB
claim that the police unjustly shot and killed Benjamin DeCoteau inconclusive.
If you have more information on this issue please let us know.

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
Occupirate.blogspot.com

I found some more information on the police shooting of Benjamin DeCoteau whom
I wrote about in the above post. DeCoteau was shot by a Minneapolis Police
officer on January 22, 2005, in Minneapolis. He is the 22rd person listed in
the "Stolen Lives" document. According to the “Stolen Lives” document:
“Benjamin, unarmed, was shot by Officer Mark Beaupre under suspicious
circumstances. Police claim he was a gang member but his family disputes this.
A highly spiritual American Indian, he was 21 years old at the time of his
death.”

I was able to locate the additional information below, from Indian.com. I also
found an obituary in the Star Tribune but it didn't have anything of interest
to this issue.

Indianz.com, had this to say Wednesday, January 26, 2005: “An Indian man who
was fatally shot by a police officer fired his gun first, the man's cousin said
in a criminal complaint.

Benjamin DeCoteau, 21, was killed early Saturday morning in Minneapolis. His
cousin, Dana Blue-David Dickenson, said he wanted to shoot a police officer
”Police say DeCoteau was a suspect in gang-related incidents at the Little
Earth housing complex. His family and American Indian Movement leader Clyde
Bellecourt say the association is unfair.
https://www.indianz.com/News/2005/006171.asp

indians.com had this to say on January 25, 2005: “According to American Indian
Movement, activist Clyde Bellecourt says he wants more information on the fatal
shooting of a man whom police are linking to Indian gang activity in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Bellecourt sits on the Police Community Relations Council to the Minneapolis
police. He said he didn't want to jump to conclusions about the incident but
two other members of the panel say the shooting was justified.

Benjamin Gene DeCoteau, 21, was killed by an officer early Saturday morning.
After the shooting, police say he was a suspect in gang-related incidents at
the Little Earth housing complex. His family vehemently denies the allegation.
http://www.indianz.com/News/2004/006154.asp

I will let the reader of this forum decide how “suspicious” the shooting of
DeCoteau was. I will only note that Clyde Bellecourt plead guilty to drug
distribution at the Little Earth Housing complex where DeCoteau was shot, in an
unrelated incident. Note that DeCoteau's own cousin contradicts the CUAPB
"Stolen Lives" document regarding whether DeCoteau was armed.

Note: Here is some more information related to Clyde, and his brother, Vernon
Bellecourt: "'NFIC' Anna Mae Aquash timeline from the wounded knee occupation
In 1973 until her murder by AIM members In 1975”
http://occupirate.blogspot.com/2013/06/nfic-anni-mae-aquash-timeline-from.html

Who killed Anna Mae Aquash, and who cares anyway?
http://occupirate.blogspot.com/2013/06/who-killed-anna-mae-aquash-and-who.html

CJ Sparrow
612-386-6538
Occupirate.blogspot.com

Corrections:

1. Benjamin DeCoteau was most likely not shot at the Little Earth Housing
complex, as I incorrectly stated in my last post above. According to an
article in the Star Tribune, “Officer tagging cars to be towed said he noticed
two men carrying guns and went to check it out. After DeCoteau fired at his
police van, an officer fired back." The article does not specify where the
incident occurred, but there was no indication that it happened at or even near
the Little Earth Housing complex.

2. The correct spelling for the publication I quoted from in my last post above
is Indianz.com. https://www.indianz.com

Indianz.com also asserted, "Benjamin DeCoteau, 21, was killed early Saturday
morning in Minneapolis. His cousin, Dana Blue-David Dickenson, said he wanted
to shoot a police officer ”Police say DeCoteau was a suspect in gang-related
incidents at the Little
Earth housing complex. His family and American Indian Movement leader Clyde
Bellecourt say the association is unfair.
https://www.indianz.com/News/2005/006171.asp

CJ Sparrow

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