So what has he done to be considered a racist? One thing mentioned in the article he refused to comment on - the patch and his ties to the motorcycle gang. Tough guy talk. Typical pos.Worth a read... in any other type of professional org a guy like this wouldn't make it 2 weeks but the shit rises to to the top in cop land.
Minneapolis Police Union President Allegedly Wore a “White Power Patch” and Made Racist Remarks
Lt. Bob Kroll’s brash leadership and influence over police department culture are in the spotlight.
In December, a couple of months after Lt. Bob Kroll, the head of the Minneapolis police union, stood onstage with President Donald Trump at a campaign rally and praised the “wonderful president” for “everything he’s done for law enforcement,” he received a short Facebook message from a disgruntled city resident: “Nazi piece of shit,” the man wrote to him.
Kroll fired off a reply, pointing out his family’s record as defenders of the Allied forces during both World Wars, and then launching into a series of insults: “Keep spewing uniformed [sic] shit from your computer in your moms [sic] basement, loser,” he wrote to the man, according to a report by the Minneapolis City Pages, a local newspaper. “If you hate me so much, why don’t you stop by and beat the shit out of me?…My bet is it won’t happen, because you are a cowardly cunt.”
It might not have been the response you’d expect from a public official who represents 800-plus rank-and-file police officers. But Kroll, who has led the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis for five years, has a reputation for inflammatory remarks. Now, his brash leadership and influence over the police department’s culture are in the spotlight amid protests over police violence in the city after George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white officer on Monday.
As Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calls for reform and the district attorney files criminal charges against the officer, Derek Chauvin, activists are demanding changes to a department they say has long been plagued by racism and misconduct. Kroll, who has been accused of using excessive force and making racist remarks in the past, is standing behind his colleague as the public backlash mounts. “Now is not the time to rush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers,” he said on Tuesday, before the department fired Chauvin and three other officers who did not intervene in Floyd’s death.
The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis union became powerful in the 1970s, after one of its former leaders, Charles Stenvig, was elected mayor. Kroll became president of the union in 2015. Today, protesters and other activists in the city say the union, not the police chief, holds the most sway over officers and their behavior on patrol. “The only authority they respect is Police Federation President Bob Kroll,” Tana Hargest, a Minneapolis-based artist and activist, tweeted a day after Floyd’s death. “[T]here’s nothing our elected representatives can or will do to bring them to heel.”
Through a series of controversies over the years, Kroll has been a staunch defender of the police. In 2015, after two white officers shot 24-year-old Jamar Clark in the head, Kroll spoke on television about Clark’s “violent” criminal history; later, when the officers were cleared of wrongdoing, he referred to Black Lives Matter as a “terrorist organization,” according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
In 2007, Kroll also referred to former US Rep. Keith Ellison, who is Muslim and Black and has pushed for criminal justice reforms, as a terrorist, according to a lawsuit filed by now–Police Chief Medaria Arradondo alleging racism within the police department. The lawsuit accused Kroll of wearing a motorcycle jacket with a white-power patch sewed into the fabric, and said he had “a history of discriminatory attitudes and conduct.” He has told reporters he was part of the City Heat motorcycle club, some of whose members have been described by the Anti-Defamation League as displaying white supremacist symbols. Kroll did not respond to a request for comment but has denied the allegations in the past.
A year after Clark’s death, in 2016, Kroll again showed his disdain for protests about racial inequality. That December, four off-duty officers walked off their job working security at the Lynx basketball game after the players denounced racial profiling at a press conference and wore Black Lives Matter warmup jerseys before the game. “I commend them for it,” Kroll said of the officers.
Kroll joined the Minneapolis police department back in 1989. According to a Star Tribune investigation, he has been the subject of at least 20 internal-affairs complaints during his three decades there, though all but three were closed without discipline. As a young officer in 1994, he was suspended for five days for excessive force, according to a report by City Pages, but that decision was later reversed by the police chief. The next year, he fought a lawsuit that accused him of “beating, choking and kicking” a biracial 15-year-old boy while saying racial slurs, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported, but a federal jury cleared him of wrongdoing. In 2003, the department demoted him for three months for “code of ethics” violations.
One of the most egregious allegations took place in 2004, while Kroll was off-duty. Kroll and another officer were accused of beating a man whose backpack bumped against their car while walking out of a bar on a Friday night; when the man’s friends came to help, the officers allegedly punched and kicked them. The Civilian Review Authority, a board that investigates complaints against Minneapolis police officers, sustained the complaint against Kroll. He was suspended for 20 days. “How can he even still be on the force with behavior like this?” the assaulted man’s father told City Pages. Kroll denied wrongdoing and said the man’s friends attacked them.
“The persona of me is that I’m some big boogeyman,” he said. “I’ve been told I’m racist, and I’m violent. I’m aware of that. I’ve had more complaints than most, but I’ve had much higher contacts, and a much higher number of arrests.” He claimed he had been cleared of wrongdoing on almost every occasion.
As head of the union, Kroll has pushed for aggressive policing. Last year, Mayor Jacob Frey banned a “warrior-style” training for officers that has been linked with other officer-involved killings, including of Philando Castile in 2016 in Minnesota. As Mother Jones revealed in an investigation, the training promoted a “killology” view of law enforcement that urged officers to be prepared to use more force, not less. Kroll described the mayor’s ban as illegal and vowed to continue making the training free through the union for any officers who were interested. “It’s not about killing, it’s about surviving,” Kroll said of the training at the time.
For Kroll, Trump has been a natural ally. “The Obama administration and the handcuffing and oppression of police was despicable,” Kroll told CBS Minnesota after speaking at the president’s rally last year. “The first thing President Trump did when he took office was turn that around…he decided to let cops do their job, put the handcuffs on the criminals instead of us.” Before the rally, Kroll’s union sold “Cops for Trump” T-shirts, which brought in close to $100,000, as a way to protest the mayor’s prohibition on officers wearing their uniform to political events.
Kroll wore one of the red shirts to the podium as Trump introduced him as “the great gentleman on television.”
Mayor Frey has, in turn, been critical of the union leader. “If he was sincere about wanting to bring trust and support about a public safety,” Frey told the Star Tribune, “he should spend more time getting to know residents and less time getting publicity from Donald Trump.”
After Floyd’s death, activists are pointing fingers at Kroll. “We believe that this department wide sickness emanates directly from leadership—specifically the President of the Minneapolis Police Federation,” members of Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors, a network of American Indian organizations in the Twin Cities, wrote in a statement. “Mr. Bob Kroll has a long history of bigoted and ignorant remarks in the press, and public displays of allegiances with known purveyors of racism.”
Kroll has pushed back against these types of complaints. “It bothers me that they won’t look beyond the accusation and back up what the truths are,” he told the Star Tribune after the Trump rally. “I mean they say, ‘Oh he’s a racist,’ and I will tell you that’s complete [expletive]—anybody that knows me will tell you that’s complete [expletive]. So put your money where your mouth is: What have I ever done to be a racist?”
Cop Kneels On Black Man's Neck As He Screams, "I Can't Breathe!" Murderer and Inmate Derek Chauven Was Shanked: RIP George Floyd 5 Years 05/25/2020
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57 Buffalo Police officers resign from unit in protest after two of their own are suspended for injuring 75-year-old
ALBANY, N.Y. – An entire unit of the Buffalo Police Department resigned from their assignments Friday after two officers were suspended amid outcry over video showing officers shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground, according to the Buffalo News and other media outlets.
All 57 of the members of the department's Emergency Response Team resigned from the unit, which responds to riots and other crowd control situations, according to the outlets. The Emergency Response Team members have not quit the police department, but have stepped down from the tactical unit, the Buffalo News reported.
"Our position is these officers were simply following orders from Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia to clear the square," said Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans. "It doesn't specify clear the square of men, 50 and under or 15 to 40. They were simply doing their job. I don't know how much contact was made. He did slip in my estimation. He fell backwards."
The man who was pushed to the ground was recovering in a hospital.
Graphic video from WBFO shows the two officers pushing the man down as he approached them in a public square around an 8 p.m. curfew Thursday. The man stumbles back and falls, and the video shows him motionless and bleeding from his head.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted Friday morning that a hospital official said the man was "alert and oriented."
"That is better news. Let's hope he fully recovers," Poloncarz added.
Asked about the resigning officers at a press conference that afternoon, Poloncarz said he would be "disappointed" if they had in fact resigned.
"If they resigned, I'm exceptionally disappointed by it because it indicates to me that they did not see anything wrong with the actions last night," Poloncarz said.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office tweeted Friday that it was continuing its investigation of the incident and that the man was unable to provide a statement to investigators Thursday night.
The officer's actions quickly drew condemnation from around the state, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo who said the "incident is wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful."
During a press briefing Friday, Cuomo played video of the incident, watching it wide-eyed before questioning the officers’ actions.
"You see that video and it disturbs your basic sense of decency and humanity," Cuomo said.
"Why? Why? Why was that necessary? Where was the threat? It was an older gentleman. Where was the threat? And then you just walk by the person when you see blood coming from his head," he said, describing the scene.
Cuomo also urged the mayor and district attorney in Buffalo to investigate the incident and move expeditiously towards potentially bringing criminal charges against and firing the officers involved.
Cuomo highlighted the incidents before pushing a police reform agenda being considered in the state legislature.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer called for an investigation, according to a statement reported by WIVB-TV.
"The casual cruelty demonstrated by Buffalo police officers tonight is gut-wrenching and unacceptable," John Curr, the Buffalo chapter director for the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement, adding that it should be a "wake-up call" for city leaders to address police violence.
In its initial statement on the incident, the Buffalo Police Department said a person "was injured when he tripped & fell," WIVB-TV reported. A later statement posted on the department's Facebook page said two officers had been suspended without pay and an internal affairs investigation was underway.
Mayor Byron Brown said in a statement that he and the city's police commissioner were "deeply disturbed by the video." Brown also confirmed the officers' suspension and internal affairs investigation.
"After days of peaceful protests and several meetings between myself, police leadership and members of the community, tonight's event is disheartening," Brown said.
Brown released a statement Friday saying that the city was aware of "developments related to the work assignments of certain members of the Buffalo police force."
Contingency plans were in place to ensure public safety, Brown said.
Five protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct, according to NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV. None of the police officers seen in the video has been criminally charged.
The Buffalo Police Department and the New York State Police did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment on Thursday.
The injured man was later identified as Martin Gugino, a veteran peace activist involved with the Western New York Peace Center and Latin American Solidarity Committee, said Vicki Ross, the center’s executive director.
“I can assure you, Martin is a peaceable person,” Ross said. “There is no way that he was doing anything to accost or hurt. He made a judgment to stay out after the curfew because he feels that our civil liberties are so in danger, which they most certainly are.”
Ross said Gugino has been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
The incident comes after more than a week of protests against police brutality following George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. Floyd, who is black, died after now-fired police officer, who is white, pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as other officers stood by.
Since Floyd's death, which has been ruled a homicide, protesters nationwide have decried police brutality and racial inequality. Some protests have been marred by violence and looting, and police have been caught on camera multiple times using force against protesters – including peaceful ones.
In Buffalo, protesters gathered Friday morning outside City Hall, where Gugino was pushed, to call for change. The crowd grew throughout the day and made its way across the street.
"I hope to continue to build on the progress we have achieved as we work together to address racial injustice and inequity in the City of Buffalo," Brown said. "My thoughts are with the victim tonight."
Contributing: Sarah Taddeo and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; Marcia Greenwood, Democrat and Chronicle; The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buffalo, New York police officers suspended for shoving man to ground
www.yahoo.com
ALBANY, N.Y. – An entire unit of the Buffalo Police Department resigned from their assignments Friday after two officers were suspended amid outcry over video showing officers shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground, according to the Buffalo News and other media outlets.
All 57 of the members of the department's Emergency Response Team resigned from the unit, which responds to riots and other crowd control situations, according to the outlets. The Emergency Response Team members have not quit the police department, but have stepped down from the tactical unit, the Buffalo News reported.
"Our position is these officers were simply following orders from Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia to clear the square," said Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans. "It doesn't specify clear the square of men, 50 and under or 15 to 40. They were simply doing their job. I don't know how much contact was made. He did slip in my estimation. He fell backwards."
The man who was pushed to the ground was recovering in a hospital.
Graphic video from WBFO shows the two officers pushing the man down as he approached them in a public square around an 8 p.m. curfew Thursday. The man stumbles back and falls, and the video shows him motionless and bleeding from his head.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted Friday morning that a hospital official said the man was "alert and oriented."
"That is better news. Let's hope he fully recovers," Poloncarz added.
Asked about the resigning officers at a press conference that afternoon, Poloncarz said he would be "disappointed" if they had in fact resigned.
"If they resigned, I'm exceptionally disappointed by it because it indicates to me that they did not see anything wrong with the actions last night," Poloncarz said.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office tweeted Friday that it was continuing its investigation of the incident and that the man was unable to provide a statement to investigators Thursday night.
The officer's actions quickly drew condemnation from around the state, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo who said the "incident is wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful."
During a press briefing Friday, Cuomo played video of the incident, watching it wide-eyed before questioning the officers’ actions.
"You see that video and it disturbs your basic sense of decency and humanity," Cuomo said.
"Why? Why? Why was that necessary? Where was the threat? It was an older gentleman. Where was the threat? And then you just walk by the person when you see blood coming from his head," he said, describing the scene.
Cuomo also urged the mayor and district attorney in Buffalo to investigate the incident and move expeditiously towards potentially bringing criminal charges against and firing the officers involved.
Cuomo highlighted the incidents before pushing a police reform agenda being considered in the state legislature.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer called for an investigation, according to a statement reported by WIVB-TV.
"The casual cruelty demonstrated by Buffalo police officers tonight is gut-wrenching and unacceptable," John Curr, the Buffalo chapter director for the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement, adding that it should be a "wake-up call" for city leaders to address police violence.
In its initial statement on the incident, the Buffalo Police Department said a person "was injured when he tripped & fell," WIVB-TV reported. A later statement posted on the department's Facebook page said two officers had been suspended without pay and an internal affairs investigation was underway.
Mayor Byron Brown said in a statement that he and the city's police commissioner were "deeply disturbed by the video." Brown also confirmed the officers' suspension and internal affairs investigation.
"After days of peaceful protests and several meetings between myself, police leadership and members of the community, tonight's event is disheartening," Brown said.
Brown released a statement Friday saying that the city was aware of "developments related to the work assignments of certain members of the Buffalo police force."
Contingency plans were in place to ensure public safety, Brown said.
Five protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct, according to NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV. None of the police officers seen in the video has been criminally charged.
The Buffalo Police Department and the New York State Police did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment on Thursday.
The injured man was later identified as Martin Gugino, a veteran peace activist involved with the Western New York Peace Center and Latin American Solidarity Committee, said Vicki Ross, the center’s executive director.
“I can assure you, Martin is a peaceable person,” Ross said. “There is no way that he was doing anything to accost or hurt. He made a judgment to stay out after the curfew because he feels that our civil liberties are so in danger, which they most certainly are.”
Ross said Gugino has been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
The incident comes after more than a week of protests against police brutality following George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. Floyd, who is black, died after now-fired police officer, who is white, pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as other officers stood by.
Since Floyd's death, which has been ruled a homicide, protesters nationwide have decried police brutality and racial inequality. Some protests have been marred by violence and looting, and police have been caught on camera multiple times using force against protesters – including peaceful ones.
In Buffalo, protesters gathered Friday morning outside City Hall, where Gugino was pushed, to call for change. The crowd grew throughout the day and made its way across the street.
"I hope to continue to build on the progress we have achieved as we work together to address racial injustice and inequity in the City of Buffalo," Brown said. "My thoughts are with the victim tonight."
Contributing: Sarah Taddeo and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; Marcia Greenwood, Democrat and Chronicle; The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buffalo, New York police officers suspended for shoving man to ground
2 Buffalo cops charged with assault after video shows officers shoving 75-year-old man to the ground
Two suspended Buffalo police officers were charged with second-degree assault after video showing officers shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground.
57 Buffalo Police officers resign from unit in protest after two of their own are suspended for injuring 75-year-old
ALBANY, N.Y. – An entire unit of the Buffalo Police Department resigned from their assignments Friday after two officers were suspended amid outcry over video showing officers shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground, according to the Buffalo News and other media outlets.
All 57 of the members of the department's Emergency Response Team resigned from the unit, which responds to riots and other crowd control situations, according to the outlets. The Emergency Response Team members have not quit the police department, but have stepped down from the tactical unit, the Buffalo News reported.
"Our position is these officers were simply following orders from Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia to clear the square," said Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans. "It doesn't specify clear the square of men, 50 and under or 15 to 40. They were simply doing their job. I don't know how much contact was made. He did slip in my estimation. He fell backwards."
The man who was pushed to the ground was recovering in a hospital.
Graphic video from WBFO shows the two officers pushing the man down as he approached them in a public square around an 8 p.m. curfew Thursday. The man stumbles back and falls, and the video shows him motionless and bleeding from his head.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted Friday morning that a hospital official said the man was "alert and oriented."
"That is better news. Let's hope he fully recovers," Poloncarz added.
Asked about the resigning officers at a press conference that afternoon, Poloncarz said he would be "disappointed" if they had in fact resigned.
"If they resigned, I'm exceptionally disappointed by it because it indicates to me that they did not see anything wrong with the actions last night," Poloncarz said.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office tweeted Friday that it was continuing its investigation of the incident and that the man was unable to provide a statement to investigators Thursday night.
The officer's actions quickly drew condemnation from around the state, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo who said the "incident is wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful."
During a press briefing Friday, Cuomo played video of the incident, watching it wide-eyed before questioning the officers’ actions.
"You see that video and it disturbs your basic sense of decency and humanity," Cuomo said.
"Why? Why? Why was that necessary? Where was the threat? It was an older gentleman. Where was the threat? And then you just walk by the person when you see blood coming from his head," he said, describing the scene.
Cuomo also urged the mayor and district attorney in Buffalo to investigate the incident and move expeditiously towards potentially bringing criminal charges against and firing the officers involved.
Cuomo highlighted the incidents before pushing a police reform agenda being considered in the state legislature.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer called for an investigation, according to a statement reported by WIVB-TV.
"The casual cruelty demonstrated by Buffalo police officers tonight is gut-wrenching and unacceptable," John Curr, the Buffalo chapter director for the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement, adding that it should be a "wake-up call" for city leaders to address police violence.
In its initial statement on the incident, the Buffalo Police Department said a person "was injured when he tripped & fell," WIVB-TV reported. A later statement posted on the department's Facebook page said two officers had been suspended without pay and an internal affairs investigation was underway.
Mayor Byron Brown said in a statement that he and the city's police commissioner were "deeply disturbed by the video." Brown also confirmed the officers' suspension and internal affairs investigation.
"After days of peaceful protests and several meetings between myself, police leadership and members of the community, tonight's event is disheartening," Brown said.
Brown released a statement Friday saying that the city was aware of "developments related to the work assignments of certain members of the Buffalo police force."
Contingency plans were in place to ensure public safety, Brown said.
Five protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct, according to NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV. None of the police officers seen in the video has been criminally charged.
The Buffalo Police Department and the New York State Police did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment on Thursday.
The injured man was later identified as Martin Gugino, a veteran peace activist involved with the Western New York Peace Center and Latin American Solidarity Committee, said Vicki Ross, the center’s executive director.
“I can assure you, Martin is a peaceable person,” Ross said. “There is no way that he was doing anything to accost or hurt. He made a judgment to stay out after the curfew because he feels that our civil liberties are so in danger, which they most certainly are.”
Ross said Gugino has been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
The incident comes after more than a week of protests against police brutality following George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. Floyd, who is black, died after now-fired police officer, who is white, pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as other officers stood by.
Since Floyd's death, which has been ruled a homicide, protesters nationwide have decried police brutality and racial inequality. Some protests have been marred by violence and looting, and police have been caught on camera multiple times using force against protesters – including peaceful ones.
In Buffalo, protesters gathered Friday morning outside City Hall, where Gugino was pushed, to call for change. The crowd grew throughout the day and made its way across the street.
"I hope to continue to build on the progress we have achieved as we work together to address racial injustice and inequity in the City of Buffalo," Brown said. "My thoughts are with the victim tonight."
Contributing: Sarah Taddeo and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; Marcia Greenwood, Democrat and Chronicle; The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buffalo, New York police officers suspended for shoving man to ground
2 Buffalo cops charged with assault after video shows officers shoving 75-year-old man to the ground
Two suspended Buffalo police officers were charged with second-degree assault after video showing officers shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground.
Blue gang reps harder than anyone. They tossed a 75 yr old man and let him bleed out, like a fucking possum that just got ran over. They don't see anything wrong with that
NFL players wont say and do shit.
States and Local Municipalities are doing what they can to work with Community Leaders on trying to solve the issues that caused George Floyd's Death.
And what does the Moron do today................
Trump Holds Roundtable On Supporting Fishermen
Watch live coverage as President Trump participates in a roundtable on supporting America's fishermen and signs a proclamation.
You Can't Make This Shit Up If You Tried......
And what does the Moron do today................
Trump Holds Roundtable On Supporting Fishermen
Watch live coverage as President Trump participates in a roundtable on supporting America's fishermen and signs a proclamation.
You Can't Make This Shit Up If You Tried......
I said that yesterday
I guess you missed Pence meeting with "Black Leaders" @ the White House yesterday....
And yes that Candice Owens in attendance...
This bastard has GOT to be put in check. Muhfucka knows that he has even the Mayor by the balls. They've got to fuck these Police Unions up.Worth a read... in any other type of professional org a guy like this wouldn't make it 2 weeks but the shit rises to to the top in cop land.
Minneapolis Police Union President Allegedly Wore a “White Power Patch” and Made Racist Remarks
Lt. Bob Kroll’s brash leadership and influence over police department culture are in the spotlight.
In December, a couple of months after Lt. Bob Kroll, the head of the Minneapolis police union, stood onstage with President Donald Trump at a campaign rally and praised the “wonderful president” for “everything he’s done for law enforcement,” he received a short Facebook message from a disgruntled city resident: “Nazi piece of shit,” the man wrote to him.
Kroll fired off a reply, pointing out his family’s record as defenders of the Allied forces during both World Wars, and then launching into a series of insults: “Keep spewing uniformed [sic] shit from your computer in your moms [sic] basement, loser,” he wrote to the man, according to a report by the Minneapolis City Pages, a local newspaper. “If you hate me so much, why don’t you stop by and beat the shit out of me?…My bet is it won’t happen, because you are a cowardly cunt.”
It might not have been the response you’d expect from a public official who represents 800-plus rank-and-file police officers. But Kroll, who has led the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis for five years, has a reputation for inflammatory remarks. Now, his brash leadership and influence over the police department’s culture are in the spotlight amid protests over police violence in the city after George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white officer on Monday.
As Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calls for reform and the district attorney files criminal charges against the officer, Derek Chauvin, activists are demanding changes to a department they say has long been plagued by racism and misconduct. Kroll, who has been accused of using excessive force and making racist remarks in the past, is standing behind his colleague as the public backlash mounts. “Now is not the time to rush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers,” he said on Tuesday, before the department fired Chauvin and three other officers who did not intervene in Floyd’s death.
The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis union became powerful in the 1970s, after one of its former leaders, Charles Stenvig, was elected mayor. Kroll became president of the union in 2015. Today, protesters and other activists in the city say the union, not the police chief, holds the most sway over officers and their behavior on patrol. “The only authority they respect is Police Federation President Bob Kroll,” Tana Hargest, a Minneapolis-based artist and activist, tweeted a day after Floyd’s death. “[T]here’s nothing our elected representatives can or will do to bring them to heel.”
Through a series of controversies over the years, Kroll has been a staunch defender of the police. In 2015, after two white officers shot 24-year-old Jamar Clark in the head, Kroll spoke on television about Clark’s “violent” criminal history; later, when the officers were cleared of wrongdoing, he referred to Black Lives Matter as a “terrorist organization,” according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
In 2007, Kroll also referred to former US Rep. Keith Ellison, who is Muslim and Black and has pushed for criminal justice reforms, as a terrorist, according to a lawsuit filed by now–Police Chief Medaria Arradondo alleging racism within the police department. The lawsuit accused Kroll of wearing a motorcycle jacket with a white-power patch sewed into the fabric, and said he had “a history of discriminatory attitudes and conduct.” He has told reporters he was part of the City Heat motorcycle club, some of whose members have been described by the Anti-Defamation League as displaying white supremacist symbols. Kroll did not respond to a request for comment but has denied the allegations in the past.
A year after Clark’s death, in 2016, Kroll again showed his disdain for protests about racial inequality. That December, four off-duty officers walked off their job working security at the Lynx basketball game after the players denounced racial profiling at a press conference and wore Black Lives Matter warmup jerseys before the game. “I commend them for it,” Kroll said of the officers.
Kroll joined the Minneapolis police department back in 1989. According to a Star Tribune investigation, he has been the subject of at least 20 internal-affairs complaints during his three decades there, though all but three were closed without discipline. As a young officer in 1994, he was suspended for five days for excessive force, according to a report by City Pages, but that decision was later reversed by the police chief. The next year, he fought a lawsuit that accused him of “beating, choking and kicking” a biracial 15-year-old boy while saying racial slurs, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported, but a federal jury cleared him of wrongdoing. In 2003, the department demoted him for three months for “code of ethics” violations.
One of the most egregious allegations took place in 2004, while Kroll was off-duty. Kroll and another officer were accused of beating a man whose backpack bumped against their car while walking out of a bar on a Friday night; when the man’s friends came to help, the officers allegedly punched and kicked them. The Civilian Review Authority, a board that investigates complaints against Minneapolis police officers, sustained the complaint against Kroll. He was suspended for 20 days. “How can he even still be on the force with behavior like this?” the assaulted man’s father told City Pages. Kroll denied wrongdoing and said the man’s friends attacked them.
“The persona of me is that I’m some big boogeyman,” he said. “I’ve been told I’m racist, and I’m violent. I’m aware of that. I’ve had more complaints than most, but I’ve had much higher contacts, and a much higher number of arrests.” He claimed he had been cleared of wrongdoing on almost every occasion.
As head of the union, Kroll has pushed for aggressive policing. Last year, Mayor Jacob Frey banned a “warrior-style” training for officers that has been linked with other officer-involved killings, including of Philando Castile in 2016 in Minnesota. As Mother Jones revealed in an investigation, the training promoted a “killology” view of law enforcement that urged officers to be prepared to use more force, not less. Kroll described the mayor’s ban as illegal and vowed to continue making the training free through the union for any officers who were interested. “It’s not about killing, it’s about surviving,” Kroll said of the training at the time.
For Kroll, Trump has been a natural ally. “The Obama administration and the handcuffing and oppression of police was despicable,” Kroll told CBS Minnesota after speaking at the president’s rally last year. “The first thing President Trump did when he took office was turn that around…he decided to let cops do their job, put the handcuffs on the criminals instead of us.” Before the rally, Kroll’s union sold “Cops for Trump” T-shirts, which brought in close to $100,000, as a way to protest the mayor’s prohibition on officers wearing their uniform to political events.
Kroll wore one of the red shirts to the podium as Trump introduced him as “the great gentleman on television.”
Mayor Frey has, in turn, been critical of the union leader. “If he was sincere about wanting to bring trust and support about a public safety,” Frey told the Star Tribune, “he should spend more time getting to know residents and less time getting publicity from Donald Trump.”
After Floyd’s death, activists are pointing fingers at Kroll. “We believe that this department wide sickness emanates directly from leadership—specifically the President of the Minneapolis Police Federation,” members of Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors, a network of American Indian organizations in the Twin Cities, wrote in a statement. “Mr. Bob Kroll has a long history of bigoted and ignorant remarks in the press, and public displays of allegiances with known purveyors of racism.”
Kroll has pushed back against these types of complaints. “It bothers me that they won’t look beyond the accusation and back up what the truths are,” he told the Star Tribune after the Trump rally. “I mean they say, ‘Oh he’s a racist,’ and I will tell you that’s complete [expletive]—anybody that knows me will tell you that’s complete [expletive]. So put your money where your mouth is: What have I ever done to be a racist?”
NFL admitting they were wrong???
Two Buffalo cops investigated after shoving elderly man to the ground
The two officers are under criminal investigation after footage captured them shoving Martin Gugino and leaving him with critical injuries in an incident in front of Buffalo's City Hall on Thursday night.
Michael Jordan to donate $100 MILLION to fight for racial equality
Michael Jordan has announced he will donate $100 million to organizations that fight for race equality in the wake of the George Floyd protests that have gripped the United States.
'Say her name': John Legend, Kim Kardashian honors Breonna Taylor
The All Of Me crooner invoked the rallying call 'Say her name' as he talked about the injustice of Breonna's death while also passionately supporting protests.
Skai Jackson Dubbed 'Queen Of Exposing Racists' After Social Media Spree
Gettyimages | Charley Gallay Skai Jackson is doing her part to bring attention to those spewing racist hate, but some are questioning whether using her public platform to shame alleged racists is being dangerous. The former Disney Channel star made the announcement on Friday to her over 300,000...
theblast.com
National Guard in Washington D.C. are told NOT to carry guns or ammo
The Pentagon has told Washington D.C.'s National Guard and guardsmen from other states who have are in the nation's capital not to use guns or ammunition.
Gayle King says she 'worries for her son being a black man'
King, 65, appeared on The Talk on Wednesday to discuss the nationwide protests over the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer.
New York experiences LOWEST coronavirus deaths since pandemic started
Social media users hit back at Governor Andrew Cuomo Friday after he said that the change in behavior from the coronavirus lockdown was proof society could change to stop police brutality.
BREAKING: Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian RESIGNS to 'curb racial hate'
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian made the shock announcement in a video uploaded to his Instagram page Friday midday.
George Floyd's girlfriend reveals they planned to open a restaurant
Courteney Ross, 44, was pictured in a somber moment on Thursday as she placed her hand on George Floyd's casket during the service at a sanctuary at North Central University in Minneapolis.
Tia Mowry reflects on growing up biracial in moving message
Tia Mowry reflected on growing up biracial and how her mother faced racial profiling while her father experienced privilege.
Johnny Depp speaks out against the 'grotesque' murder of George Floyd
Like so many others in the public eye, Johnny Depp is coming to the fore with his thoughts and feelings on an event which has captured the the world's attention: the murder of George Floyd.
Keke Palmer Pleads With National Guard To 'Walk With Us' During Peaceful Hollywood Protest
She asked them to take part in their protest.
theblast.com
2020.
Nah chief. NFL got a fucking revolt lite if they don't rehire Kaepernick now. It's insulting our intelligence and we know this is a business move to get ahead of the surge if this movement continues. Some change has happened and more change is coming. Btw fuck Jay z for that stunt he pulled.
His WORDS don't mean shit, he killed a man's career, never punished a owner for calling his employees inmates, allowed Jones to trade a player for taking a knee and let another owner pay for sex with no punishment.
Another "good" cop in Black Mecca.
www.cnn.com
Fuck the police all day every day.
Video shows a woman being body slammed by an Atlanta police officer as she was handcuffed | CNN
An Atlanta police officer seen on a video posted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution body slamming a woman on the first night of protests in Atlanta has been placed on administrative assignment, police said.
Fuck the police all day every day.
ViacomCBS Donating $5 Million to Social Justice Organizations
ViacomCBS has joined the ranks of industry companies opening their pocketbooks in the midst of nationwide protests over racial inequality in America.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
I guess you missed Pence meeting with "Black Leaders" @ the White House yesterday....
And yes that Candice Owens in attendance...
you see what i was saying
George Floyd GoFundMe Receives Most Donations of All Time
George Floyd's killing has impacted the world in a major way, and it's also inspired more people than ever to donate to a cause.
www.tmz.com
Donate to Official George Floyd Memorial Fund, organized by Philonise Floyd
On May 25, 2020, my life shattered as I learned of the tragic passing of my dear b… Philonise Floyd needs your support for Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
$13,301,500 raised of $1,500,000 goal
Another "good cop" gotta go
www.wkrn.com
Tennessee sheriff admits he used n-word in recording
The sheriff of Lauderdale County admitted Wednesday it was his voice caught on a recent recording using the n-word in a conversation about a case.
www.wkrn.com
Stephen Jackson Warns Trump, Keep George Floyd's Name Out Your Mouth!
Stephen Jackson is FURIOUS at Donald Trump for mentioning George Floyd's name at the White House on Friday ... and he's now warning POTUS not to let it happen again!
www.tmz.com
Stephen Jackson Speaks At George Floyd Rally, Fighting For A Conviction
Stephen Jackson is at the forefront of the fight for justice in the killing of George Floyd ... saying he's going to do whatever it takes to make sure the officers are convicted.
www.tmz.com
Stephen Jackson to George Floyd's Daughter, 'I'll Walk You Down the Aisle One Day'
"I'm gonna be there for her. I'm gonna walk her down the aisle. I'm gonna be there for her. I'm gonna be there to wipe your tears. I'm gonna be here for you and Gigi."
www.tmz.com
Michael Jordan, Jordan Brand Donating $100 Million To Racial Equality Orgs
Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand have pledged an incredible $100 MILLION to fight racial inequality ... saying straight-up -- "Black lives matter."
www.tmz.com
LA Galaxy Releases Player After Wife's 'Racist And Violent' Comments
MLS player Aleksandar Katai's wife's disgusting comments about protesters just cost him his job with the LA Galaxy ... with the team releasing him due to her "racist and violent" words.
www.tmz.com
Adrian Peterson Says He'll Kneel During Anthems In 2020, 'Without A Doubt'
The future Hall of Famer says the rest of the league is "all getting ready to take a knee together."
www.tmz.com
Drew Brees Responds to Donald Trump, Stop Focusing on Flag and Help Black People
Drew Brees has just responded to President Trump -- telling POTUS their focus should not be on the flag ... and should be on helping the black community.
www.tmz.com
Why do you have to spam shit!!!!
WarnerMedia to Offer Ad Inventory to Social Justice Groups
WarnerMedia on Thursday outlined actions the company is taking to help fight social injustice. For starters, the company will donate commercial inventory to Color Of Change and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
Let me go over there and tell his dumb ass to just eliminate the fucking anthem pomp and circumstance altogether. This is not the damned Olympics and does not represent the US as a nation. Just stop with the bullshit and this shit will be nixed.
California gonna pop again, this just happened
www.theguardian.com
California: Vallejo police kill unarmed 22-year-old, who was on his knees with his hands up
California: Vallejo police kill unarmed 22-year-old, who was on his knees with his hands up
An officer mistakenly believed Sean Monterrosa had a gun, but it was a hammer in his pocket
California: Vallejo police kill unarmed 22-year-old, who was on his knees with his hands up
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