Arradondo and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pushed for sweeping policy changes: Banning police chokeholds and neck restraints; requiring officers to try to stop any other officers they see using improper force; and preventing officers involved in using deadly force from reviewing body camera footage before completing an initial police report. Medaria Arradondo's first lesson in what it takes to be a black man in law enforcement came nearly 30 years ago, when the police chief of a mostly white town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula . if( inline_cta_2_text_382199 !='' ){ Using force on Floyd after he was handcuffed was in "no way, shape, or form" policy, he testified. Just minutes into the mayor's Friday night press conference at City Hall, a few dozen protesters filed in, demanding Hodges' own resignation. She filmed a squad car idling near a barricade at George Floyd Square while she debated with with an officer inside. Video of Floyd's death ignited protests around the US and world as protesters called for reform in policing and law. inline_cta_2_text_382199 = '
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'; "I don't want to surround myself with 'yes people' and I did tell them this is, and it was a weighty, weighty decision. tn_pos: 'rectangle_1', if( inline_cta_font_color_382199 !='' ){ "We were working on the changes that had been necessary way before George Floyd died," he said. "I'm very humbled and blessed." Harteau appointed him as her assistant chief in April. Medaria Arradondo said Chauvin violated department policies in his interaction with Floyd. Last week, Chauvins supervisor, Sgt. jQuery("#inline_cta_2_btn_382199").html(inline_cta_2_button_text_382199); "It was clear to me that the relationships that assistant chief, soon to be chief Arradondo has, and the relationships he's been able to build in the community, that he is a very smart, positive leader for the future," said Hodges. Lt. Richard Zimmerman, the longest serving member of the MPD, called it totally unnecessary.. One thing we dont give you is the benefit of the doubt. Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, Assistant Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and City Council Member Linea Palmisano speak to the media following the death of Justine Ruszczyk. Attorney John Klassen represented Arradondo and the other officers. Q&A: Minneapolis Chief of Police Medaria Arradondo. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo details the city's preparations for the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo was a star witness for the prosecution Monday at the trial of a former officer charged with killing George Floyd, repeating the criticism he levied after Floyd's death. var inline_cta_url_382199 = ''; Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo has once again come out against a ballot initiative that would replace police officers ahead of Tuesday's election. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. He decided he wanted to help change that, and after joining the department in 1989 has risen through the ranks to become the departments assistant chief and second-in-command. Arradondo made some quick changes, including toughening department policy on use of body cameras and requiring all officers to go through training that stresses respectful interaction with the public. Moss said in an interview that the chief had always shown a willingness to consult with various groups before making major decisions. inline_cta_bg_color_382199 = '#ffcf0d'; He took over months later, after Harteau was forced out over the fatal shooting of Australia native Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her house. You get a ton of equipment to wear, the badge and everything else, he said. But around midnight, he testified on Monday, he heard from a resident, who said, Chief, have you seen the video of your officer choking and killing that man at 38th and Chicago?. Are people still not going to be picked up for petty crimes that they wouldnt be picked up for in Edina? He said that inspired him to be a part of the solution. There were so many groundbreaking . The prosecution says he was asphyxiated by the police. Arradondo and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pushed for sweeping policy changes: Banning police chokeholds and neck restraints; requiring officers to try to stop any other officers they see using improper force; and preventing officers involved in using deadly force from reviewing body camera footage before completing an initial police report. } ", "We not only knew that we were, we had to do the right thing based on the information we had," Arradondo said, according to the documents. 'Rondo' rose through police ranks to helm a department under pressure, The shooting of Justine Ruszczyk and trial of former officer Mohamed Noor, Former chief asks public to back new chief, Ex-Minneapolis officer who killed 911 caller leaves prison, Mohamed Noor, ex-Minneapolis officer who killed 911 caller, to be released, Ex-cop Noor set for June release after resentence in Ruszczyk killing. A monthly newsletter on the global fight for reproductive freedom. The first day of the second week of the trial has ended. tn_keyword: ['black-live', 'george-flo', 'police-bru', 'racial-vio'], This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. if( inline_cta_text_382199 !='' ){ "They all unequivocally agreed that, that was the right decision to do," Arradondo said in a recorded interview with agents from the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and the FBI. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. While Arradondo said choke holds are authorized in some situations, he told the jury the use of force he saw in a video filmed by a bystander was not objectively reasonable. slotId: "thenation_article_indent", If you are told you missed a court date, attempt to gather the name of the court and a case number so you can contact the court directly. He said that by then it had dawned on him that Floyd's death was "going to be a significant incident for the city," according to the documents. tn_author: ['alyssa-o', 'anna-d'], ", Around the same time, Arradondo and Frey made it public at a news conference, where a clearly shaken Frey was more unequivocal, saying, "Being Black in America should not be a death sentence. Civil rights advocates say Arradondo inherited a department with a history of misconduct spanning decades. Get unlimited access: $9.50 for six months. He said at one point the mayor joined the meeting and the conversation briefly turned to the best course of action after people in the community saw the video. "To continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back, that in no way, shape, or form is anything that is by policy," the police chief said. In it, he announced that the MPD would be teaming up with federal agencies, including ATF and the FBI, to gather intelligence on George Floyd Square. Along the way, he and four other Black officers successfully sued the department for discrimination in promotions, pay and discipline. pg.acq.push(function() { tn_subject: ['activism', 'budgets', 'jails-and-', 'law', 'police-and', 'race-and-e', 'racism-and', 'social-jus', 'society'], } MINNEAPOLIS -- Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced Monday that he won't accept a third term as chief, a blow to a department that has been reeling since four officers were charged in George Floyd's death. by: TAMMY WEBBER, AMY FORLITI and STEPHEN GROVES, Associated Press. The city settled with the officers two years later for $740,000. Kroll, a long-standing target of local activists, retired shortly after the January 6 Capitol insurrection. tn_subject: ['activism', 'budgets', 'jails-and-', 'law', 'police-and', 'race-and-e', 'racism-and', 'social-jus', 'society'], }. The land around it is littered with empty cans and dry grass. jQuery("#magazine_button_382199 a").attr("href",magazine_button_url_382199); City records show he had 17 complaints against him, only one of which resulted in discipline. Elie Mystal. Taking the stand on Monday, Chief Arradondo did not mince words. Large white letters leaned against the stage, spelling out their plan: defund police. Council member Steve Fletcher said Arradondo was lenient in his first year as chief as he worked to build department morale, which made it more difficult to get rid of problem officers later. The panel was created by the federal Department of Justice to address historic tensions and disparities in the city. According to police federation president Lt. Bob Kroll, Arradondo is well-liked and respected by his colleagues. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified Monday that fired officer Derek Chauvin violated the department's use-of-force policy on the day of George Floyd's death. ", Arradondo said that after reaching his decision, he called the mayor to tell him. Arradondo quickly fired the four officers at the scene of Floyds death. Very soon they may call him Chief Rondo. We've done a lot of great things in that time but, self-admittedly, we've harmed communities in those 150 years.". placementName: "thenation_right_rail", By signing up, you confirm that you are over the age of 16 andagree to receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nations journalism. MPD Chief Arradondo talks on officer mental health, Medaria Arradondo looks back on 2 years as MPD chief, The shooting of Justine Ruszczyk and trial of former officer Mohamed Noor, 3 challenges to test Arradondo as he takes over Minneapolis cops, Arradondo sworn in as Minneapolis police chief, Ex-Minneapolis officer who killed 911 caller leaves prison, Mohamed Noor, ex-Minneapolis officer who killed 911 caller, to be released, Ex-cop Noor set for June release after resentence in Ruszczyk killing. var magazine_button_url_382199 = ''; ultimately convicted of third-degree murder. Webrecent arrests in macon, georgia and in bibb county; dahon ng alagaw benefits; mark kleinman wife; Services. It was then that Arradondo made the decision to contact the FBI to investigate the case, he told the agents. The lawyer, Eric J. Nelson, began his cross-examination of the chief by asking, Whens the last time that youve actually I dont mean to be dismissive, but actually arrested a suspect?, Throughout his questioning, Mr. Nelson focused on the proposition that the departments policies gave officers leeway to decide what was best in the moment: Ultimately, its not an all-inclusive list of considerations for the reasonableness of the use of force, agreed?. https://www.kare11.com/appredirect/\r Find KARE 11 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KARE11/\r Follow KARE 11 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kare11\r Follow KARE 11 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kare11/ Those tasks are a part of his duties as assistant chief, a position he was appointed to in April after serving as Harteaus chief of staff for 2 years. "There's the saying that hurt people hurt people," he said. On the ground, someone has drawn a chalk outline of a body and written: Just miles away, a dead tree and black fence guard the Third Precincts charred building. Minneapolisagreed to pay $27 million to Floyds familyto settle a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging the city allowed a culture of excessive force, racism and impunity to flourish in its police force. Related Article Yes. When Arradondo was tapped to lead the Minneapolis Police Department in 2017, he faced a public newly outraged by Damonds death and still carrying deep mistrust over the killing of Clark. After watching Chief Arradondos testimony on Monday, Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights lawyer, said she had been the resident who had originally alerted the chief to the video on the night Mr. Floyd died. Chief Medaria Arradondo of the Minneapolis Police Department in October. as well as other partner offers and accept our. var inline_cta_button_text_382199 = ''; cta_2_check_382199 = true; On Friday, Mayor Betsy Hodges announced. This interview is part of "Call to Mind," MPR's initiative to foster new conversations around mental health. In the early 2000s Arradondo was a department representative on the Police Community Relations Council.