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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMinnesota State Patrol destroyed texts, e-mails after "riot" response (George Floyd)
Minnesota State Patrol officers conducted a mass purge of e-mails and text messages immediately after their response to riots last summer, leaving holes in their paper trail as the courts and other investigators attempt to reconstruct whether law enforcement used improper force in the chaos following George Floyd's murder.
In a recent court hearing in a lawsuit alleging the State Patrol targeted journalists during the unrest, State Patrol Maj. Joseph Dwyer said he and a "vast majority of the agency" deleted the communiqués after the riots, according to a transcript published to the federal court docket Friday night.
This file destruction "makes it nearly impossible to track the State Patrol's behavior, apparently by design," said attorneys for Minnesota's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is suing the State Patrol and Minneapolis police on behalf of journalists who say they were assaulted by law enforcement while covering the protests and riots.
"The purge was neither accidental, automated, nor routine," said ACLU attorneys, in a court motion that asks a judge to order the State Patrol to cease attacks on journalists who are covering protests. "The purge did not happen because of a file destruction or retention policy. No one reviewed the purged communications before they were deleted to determine whether the materials were relevant to this litigation."
In a recent court hearing in a lawsuit alleging the State Patrol targeted journalists during the unrest, State Patrol Maj. Joseph Dwyer said he and a "vast majority of the agency" deleted the communiqués after the riots, according to a transcript published to the federal court docket Friday night.
This file destruction "makes it nearly impossible to track the State Patrol's behavior, apparently by design," said attorneys for Minnesota's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is suing the State Patrol and Minneapolis police on behalf of journalists who say they were assaulted by law enforcement while covering the protests and riots.
"The purge was neither accidental, automated, nor routine," said ACLU attorneys, in a court motion that asks a judge to order the State Patrol to cease attacks on journalists who are covering protests. "The purge did not happen because of a file destruction or retention policy. No one reviewed the purged communications before they were deleted to determine whether the materials were relevant to this litigation."
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-state-patrol-destroyed-texts-e-mails-after-riot-response/600094298/
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Minnesota State Patrol destroyed texts, e-mails after "riot" response (George Floyd) (Original Post)
iemanja
Sep 2021
OP
Yes, and isn't there supposed to be a trial for the other officers involved in G. Floyd's death?
rgbecker
Sep 2021
#2
Yes, they're facing a joint trial on aiding and abetting charges. It was supposed to start in August
WhiskeyGrinder
Sep 2021
#3
ARPad95
(1,671 posts)1. The law enforcers are really just law breakers. Despicable!
rgbecker
(4,806 posts)2. Yes, and isn't there supposed to be a trial for the other officers involved in G. Floyd's death?
Haven't seen any news about this.
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,153 posts)3. Yes, they're facing a joint trial on aiding and abetting charges. It was supposed to start in August
but has been delayed until next March.
The trial for two of the officers starts March 7. The latest article I found is this:
https://www.startribune.com/second-attorney-asks-to-ban-livestream-for-trial-in-george-floyd-killing/600090893/
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,153 posts)4. FTP. K&R.
rgbecker
(4,806 posts)5. Where would we be without the ACLU?
Let's see what the Judges do with this. I hope someone can keep us up to date on this story.
iemanja
(53,003 posts)8. The Mpls police were already caught
destroying records. This was at the 2nd precinct, way across town from the 3rd precinct that was torched by a Boogaloo boy.
Hotler
(11,354 posts)6. Please support the ACLU. nt
dsc
(52,130 posts)9. there is a simple solution to this
the plaintiffs should be declared the winners of the case and move on to damages.