NEW: 2 yrs ago, I set out to learn everything about Heather Mayer, a popular figure in the local BDSM scene whose death was never solved. The reporting took me and @reneejon across the country chasing allegations of a serial abuser in the BDSM community. Read the investigation:

https://twitter.com/StarTribune/status/1664619121542311939

This story is not just about an unsolved death. It’s a distillation of how the criminal justice system places value judgements on victims, and how some are deemed not credible based on lifestyle rather than evidence.

ICYMI: We took a deep dive into the history of this embattled intersection and how police, business owners and community members are looking to address its high frequency of violence. startribune.com/embattled-nort… A couple interesting findings. 1. As violence has increased in this half-mile radius, proactive policing metrics dropped 90%, which MPD attributes to a change in tactics responding to fewer officers on staff.

Openly gay, feminist and liberal, Colleen Ryan joined the Minneapolis police to make change. Instead, she says, a misogynistic and homophobic culture, obsessed with Trump, pushed her out. startribune.com/only-minneapol… Ryan says her coworkers turned on her after learning she supported Clinton, who they considered the anti-cop candidate. When she took part in the 2017 women's march, her entire shift refused to partner with her and purposely stalled when she asked for backup, she says.

For most of this summer, @JeffHargarten and I have been trying to learn more about the surge in gun crime in Minneapolis. What we found is that the city is on track for the most violent year in a generation. A few notes on the reporting below: startribune.com/inside-minneap… 1. The crime spike is real. This wasn't a given. Crime is often politicized, especially now in Mpls, and in recent years we've heard politicians and pseudo news orgs describe the city in sensationalized terms even when crime was at record lows.

After the 3rd Precinct fell, Minneapolis police cleared guns and computers out of other precincts. Across town, in the 2nd, they shredded what they believed to be inactive case files and loaded the rest in an unmarked car to hide at a waterworks facility startribune.com/police-shredde… One officer said he believed the city's plan was to abandon the other precincts.

If you like Substack, you'll love local newspapers.

https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1387420958080765954

startribune.com/minneapolis-vi…

Police just fired a flash bang toward crowd. Sheriff just ordered dispersal. Says illegal assembly, gives crowd 10 minutes.

Signal was very jammed last night, presumably w/ so many live streams, so here's a brief dump of videos from the protests outside Brooklyn Center police station that didn't send: Later in the standoff, as police moved into arrest curfew violators. Ppl were throwing water bottles in response to police shooting flash bangs and pepper bombs

Back at the police station, where Brooklyn Center police will be holding a press conference shortly. Police are erecting a concrete barrier, a crowd is gathered and a man is yelling at police lines through megaphone. Police are being very cautious, taking pictures of each reporter's credentials before letting us in the building for this press conference.

I'm out here in Brooklyn Center w my colleagues, trying to learn the facts of a man who was shot and killed by police here tonight. I'll tweet updates from scene, but follow startribune.com for the latest story. The man's name is Daunte Wright, 20 yrs old, and a couple hundred people are gathered, chanting peacefully as of now.

Jonah Westbury, 26, of Lindstrom, was arrested Friday morning. The charges will likely be unsealed later in the day.
startribune.com/fbi-arrests-se… Westbury is making his first appearance. Feeling Deja Vu.

I'm at an extremely well guarded MN Capitol, where several pro-Trump rallies are planned this weekend. Today's group has a permit for 150 ppl and have publicly warned agitators to stay home. This is the designated "First Amendment Zone," security told me This guy's name is Bruce. Wouldn't give me last name, but he says Jesus will judge me bc twitter and CNN censored his friends.

Chief Arradondo says suspect fired first at police. Suspect pronounced dead at scene. Officers and passenger unharmed. BCA investigating. More tk "we can not allow for destructive criminal behavior," says Rondo of protests. Says "we need to preserve that crime scene." He says body cam footage will be released tomorrow

Big federal charges this morning. Ivan Hunter, a 26 yo member of the far-right Boogaloo Bois, is charged with shooting up Minneapolis' third precinct (which he helped set on fire) and screaming "Justice for Floyd!" during Mpls unrest. Full story tk This was part of a coordinated attack from Boogaloos in Mpls that week, apparently to ramp up violence. Hunter told friends to "go for police buildings."

Over the past few days, footage I streamed while covering protests outside the @realDonaldTrump rally in Minneapolis has been cited as evidence that @Ilhan participated in an "antifa riot." As the @AP fact checkers confirmed, this is false. What really happened: A thread.

https://twitter.com/StarTribune/status/1183949114351841281

@realDonaldTrump @Ilhan @AP First, here is the claim, made here by Trump campaign adviser Tony Shaffer

https://twitter.com/T_S_P_O_O_K_Y/status/1182989551381467137