MINNEAPOLIS — As the unrest in Minneapolis grows, several officers have decided to resign from the department.
Multiple police sources confirmed with Law Officer that five Minneapolis police officers have resigned from the organization due to ongoing strife and fallout from the George Floyd custodial death.
Officers at MPD generally do not believe they have support from Mayor Jacob Fry.
Moreover, the City Council appears to think the Police Department lacks value as some of its members are maneuvering to disband it.
“The department is ungovernable,” Councilmember Steve Fletcher said. “Chief (Medaria) Arradondo is a leader that we’ve all had very high hopes in and that I imagined could play a role in envisioning the next version of public safety. But he has clearly not been able to make the culture change happen that we were hoping for and investing in.”
Fletcher said in a Twitter post that it’s time to “declare policing as we know it a thing of the past.”
“Our city needs a public safety capacity that doesn’t fear our residents,” Fletcher said. “That doesn’t need a gun at a community meeting. That considers itself part of our community. That doesn’t resort quickly to pepper spray when people are understandably angry. That doesn’t murder black men.”
Fletcher isn’t acting solo in his distaste for public servants. Earlier this week, Law Officer reported that Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison tweeted that he declared his support for ANTIFA after President Trump said that his administration would be declaring it a “Terrorist Organization.”
Jeremiah Ellison is the son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison who is leading the prosecution team against the Minneapolis police officers charged in Floyd’s death.
So is it any wonder that good, honorable cops are ready to move on? In the end, how many will bid adieu to the agency?
