The Best Thing That Could Happen To The Gang Strike Force
By Mitch Berg
Minneapolis police investigate Minneapolis police softball team for a violent drunken binge:
The Minneapolis Police Department’s internal affairs unit is investigating a police softball team after an alleged night of drinking and brawls.
The softball game itself was in Northeast Park last Tuesday, where Minneapolis police took on Minneapolis firefighters.
By the time the off-duty Minneapolis officers arrived at the Double Deuce strip club, still in their softball uniforms, the owner told FOX 9, the cops were so intoxicated that the bouncer wouldn’t let them in the strip club.
OK, so that’s one thing.
But this…:
The owner says the officers even started flashing their badges, trying to intimidate the bouncer. And in retaliation, one of the officers allegedly urinated on the club’s wall. The incident was caught on video.
With closing time nearing, the team went to Mayslak’s Bar a few blocks away. The owner and staff told FOX 9, the officers picked a couple of fights and told patrons no one could stop them because they were all cops.
Outside the bar, one of the cops allegedly assaulted a man, who was passing by, after he tried to break up one of those fights.
The Minneapolis Police Department’s internal affairs unit has been making the rounds at the northeast bars, looking for witnesses, trying to get the story straight.
The audio on the Fox9 report said that people are reticent about talking; they don’t want to get on the wrong side of the police.
September 1st, 2009 at 7:33 am
This is the kind of police force you get in a one party town where the cops are wired into the political party in power. Mpls gets what it breeds – corruption!
September 1st, 2009 at 10:17 am
I like Tim Dolan (full disclosure: he’s a 2nd cousin-by-marriage to me, and my mother-in-law can legitimately claim she changed his diapers when he was a baby), but this sure puts a big black stain on his perceived leadership capabilities. If people aren’t fired over this, he’ll be just another Robert Olson (more tool-ish than the Craftsman department at Sears).
September 1st, 2009 at 10:29 am
Nobody is going to get fired. The guy who Wee-Weed up the wall will get a repremand if they can ID him from the video.
I will be surprised if anyone is willing to testify. A NE bar needs the police to respond and if they testify against the NE cops their response time (which sucks already)might just suffer not to mention the results when the Police arrive.
September 1st, 2009 at 10:37 am
jpmn is right no one will be charged or seriously punished, in fact its very likely that members of IA were participants.
September 1st, 2009 at 10:38 am
Curious.
Does MPLS maintain a revolving charge account to pay all of the lawsuits their wonderful PD earns?
I grew up in Chicago. The CPD has never been known as bastions of gentile behavior, but for the most part, they maintain a level of discretion.
Honsetly, I can’t remember the last time there was a story of a pack of Chicago cops on a drunken rampage, or of one Chicago cop shooting the snot out of another with a sub machine gun, and I don’t think they’ve ever been caught stuffing anyone into a car trunk (alive, at least).
When it comes to off-the-hook, out-of-control assholes, the MPD is in a league of their own…and I’m not talking about softball here.
What the hell is going on over there?
Ridiculous!
September 1st, 2009 at 12:46 pm
What the hell is going on over there?
Basically, authority without responsibility.
No, nobody’s going to be fired over this. Read the union contract; it’s just about impossible to fire an MPD cop.
September 1st, 2009 at 1:10 pm
“By the time the off-duty Minneapolis officers arrived at the Double Deuce strip club, still in their softball uniforms, the owner told FOX 9, the cops were so intoxicated that the bouncer wouldn’t let them in the strip club.”
I’m curious if they had a designated driver to shuttle them around. Maybe he was the one relieving himself on the club wall.
I’d bet they would have behaved better at Mayslak’s Bar if old man Mayslak was still around.
September 1st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
The KQ Morning Show said on-duty cops were called to the scuffle outside Mayslaks but there’s no police report.
Curiouser and curiouser.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:00 am
Frakkin’ idiots.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:42 am
Well, yeah, but look at the history — there’s lots of cases of folks with badges doing that sort of stuff, locally, and not suffering consequences. Remember that MPD cop who picked a fight outside the cop bar, got his gun stolen from him, and got a three-day paid suspension? If there’s generally no consequences for bad behavior, it’ll be repeated. Granted, the two who went all shooty after O’Rourke’s house party did get fired, but that was the exception, not the rule.
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:15 am
Stool says: “Frakkin’ idiots.”
What about the completely sober (allegedly) on-duty cops that showed up at Mayslacks and let those “frakkin’ idiots” drive off…and then evidently forgot to write up a report?
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:25 am
It’s the culture, Swiftee. How many times when, say, MGSF cops were on their five-fingered-discount shopping sprees in the “evidence” room did another cop say, “You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…” etc.?
Far as I can tell, the score is zero. Even Omodt, pretty clearly the Good Guy in the piece, didn’t do that — that said, it’s at least likely that nobody stole in front of Omodt.
Oh: sideline to MGSF — fresh off the MGSF scandal, Lieutenant Jim Heimerl has been assigned to command Precinct 4, Sector 2, one of the most difficult sectors in Minneapolis; see http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/safe/docs/safe-staff-map.pdf .
Don’t you just feel all warm and fuzzy?
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
It occurs to me that it is entirely possible that one or more of those frackkin’ idiots (aka: gaping assholes) were probably ex-Strike Force Gangsters drinking to forget they are under investigation by the FBI!
HAHAHAhaaaaa!
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:08 pm
You’re right about the others, Joel. We would call them accessories after the fact, but in the MPD, they’re known as “stand-up guys”.
“Precinct 4, Sector 2, one of the most difficult sectors in Minneapolis”
Yeah, but it’s easy pickin’s up there, Joel; Easy. Pickin’s.
December 7th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
i was the guy who was assaulted by the officers after trying to stop them from beating on a guy outside of mayslack’s. internal affairs brought me in for a two hour interview, but told me right off the bat that they were probably not going to bring charges against them. i had multiple contusions, a broken jaw, and sore ribs for weeks. fox news was smart enough to post my picture on the air during their coverage of the story, so i figured i had nothing left to lose by telling IA everything i knew. end result? i received no damages, there were no charges filed. and I moved to chicago. minneapolis police are corrupt as hell, and i urge everyone i know not to visit for any reason.