As Superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), I would like to provide the following update on actions we have taken since the July 10 incident in Minnehaha Park, where two park police officers detained four Somali youth in response to what turned out to be an inaccurate 911 call reporting the youth had knives and a gun. Upon arrival, one officer unholstered his firearm and pointed it in the general direction of the four youth. Once officers determined none of the youth had weapons and witness accounts on the scene were inconsistent with the 911 callers account of the incident, three of the youth were released at the park and one youth was brought to the juvenile supervision center because he had been reported as a missing child. All four youth were back with their families that evening.
We have met with the families on several occasions and apologized for the experience and the trauma their children suffered that day and continue to experience as a result of their encounter with our officers. We listened, answered questions, offered support to the families, and are committed to keeping these families and the community informed of our processes and the steps we are taking.
We have launched two investigations; an independent employment investigation into the actions of the park police officers and a criminal investigation into the validity of the 911 call. On July 12, our Human Resources hired outside, third-party firms, Bassford Remele and Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP, to collectively conduct an independent investigation of the incident to determine if Park Police policies, procedures and laws were followed. We anticipate the investigative report may be received within a week and then potential corrective actions can be considered.
The investigation into the 911 call began during the July 10 incident at Minnehaha Regional Park, and on July 20 Park Police submitted the criminal case to the City Attorney’s Office for review and possible consideration of criminal charges. Today we learned criminal charges will not be pursued because according to the City Attorney’s office, there was insufficient evidence to confirm the identity of the person who placed the 911 call. We believe reporting false information puts people’s lives in danger and any person reporting false information should be held accountable.
With the City Attorney’s conclusion of their review into the investigation, today the Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center released the 911 call transcript from this incident. The MPRB is committed to transparency and we are reviewing how to release of the body camera video in compliance with Minnesota law.
Minneapolis parks are for all people, especially our children. Park commissioners, recreation staff and park police have worked to provide safe, welcoming experiences for youth for more than a century. We do not condone violence in the parks. What happened July 10 at Minnehaha Park does not reflect our organization’s mission and our obligation to serving youth and families. We know we have a lot of work to do if we want to rebuild trust, and we are committed to doing so.