St. Paul Police Use of Force Against Protesters Was 'Collective Punishment', Community Group Says
A community group has accused St. Paul police officers of violating department policy during a protest against an ICE operation two weeks ago, with some officers using excessive force and targeting media members.
The protesters were gathered in response to the arrest of an undocumented immigrant who had been previously removed from the US and re-entered the country unlawfully. According to a probable cause statement filed in federal court, the protester, Jeffrey Lopez-Suazo, was attempting to provide for his family after leaving Honduras.
Despite claims by law enforcement that protesters were "violent" and "attacking officers," community leaders say this is not true. They describe the scene as peaceful demonstrations demanding due process from ICE agents.
According to Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, St. Paul police officers violated department policy during the protest, including using pepper spray on people who were not breaking any laws, and indiscriminately shooting chemical munitions into the crowd.
The city council has called for an independent investigation into the incident, with a resolution expected to be introduced at their meeting this Wednesday. Council President Rebecca Noecker said they are working to determine who should conduct the investigation, which is expected to present findings to the Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission.
Chief Axel Henry said his department's investigation is ongoing and that they will review hundreds of hours of body camera footage as part of the inquiry. However, community leaders are demanding action be taken, including assigning disciplinary measures for any misconduct and ensuring such incidents never happen again.
Law enforcement claimed some protesters had thrown rocks at officers, but this was disputed by community members who described the scene as peaceful. The St. Paul police union also made claims about "professional agitators" among protesters, which were dismissed by Michelle Gross.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between immigration authorities and immigrant communities in the US.
A community group has accused St. Paul police officers of violating department policy during a protest against an ICE operation two weeks ago, with some officers using excessive force and targeting media members.
The protesters were gathered in response to the arrest of an undocumented immigrant who had been previously removed from the US and re-entered the country unlawfully. According to a probable cause statement filed in federal court, the protester, Jeffrey Lopez-Suazo, was attempting to provide for his family after leaving Honduras.
Despite claims by law enforcement that protesters were "violent" and "attacking officers," community leaders say this is not true. They describe the scene as peaceful demonstrations demanding due process from ICE agents.
According to Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, St. Paul police officers violated department policy during the protest, including using pepper spray on people who were not breaking any laws, and indiscriminately shooting chemical munitions into the crowd.
The city council has called for an independent investigation into the incident, with a resolution expected to be introduced at their meeting this Wednesday. Council President Rebecca Noecker said they are working to determine who should conduct the investigation, which is expected to present findings to the Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission.
Chief Axel Henry said his department's investigation is ongoing and that they will review hundreds of hours of body camera footage as part of the inquiry. However, community leaders are demanding action be taken, including assigning disciplinary measures for any misconduct and ensuring such incidents never happen again.
Law enforcement claimed some protesters had thrown rocks at officers, but this was disputed by community members who described the scene as peaceful. The St. Paul police union also made claims about "professional agitators" among protesters, which were dismissed by Michelle Gross.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between immigration authorities and immigrant communities in the US.
. It sounds like the St. Paul police officers went way too far, using pepper spray on people who weren't even doing anything wrong? That's just not right. And I get why community leaders are saying this was collective punishment - it feels like they were targeting peaceful protesters just because. 
I mean, what's the point of having a Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission if they're not gonna do their job properly? 
We need to make sure that people who are protesting for justice aren't being mistreated by law enforcement. It's all about finding that balance between keeping everyone safe and respecting people's rights. 
omg can u believe dis? St paul police used pepper spray on ppl who weren't even causin trouble lol what r they even thinkin with dat stuff. & now dey got a community group sayin dey violated policy & should get in trouble 4 it. i mean i get it, protesters r passionate but no need 4 force like dat. i wish city council would jus do an independant investigation & see what really went down. shouldn't be too hard 2 figure out if law enforcement acted legit or not 
The fact that they're denying it was a peaceful protest and claiming protesters were violent is just not adding up.
It's time for us to demand more from our law enforcement agencies and ensure that they're serving and protecting all members of our communities, not just a select few. 
what's with all these reports of people being sprayed with pepper spray just for standing there?? like, didn't they know that was against the rules?! 
i mean yeah it makes sense that council members would want an independent investigation but like shouldn't the police be held accountable already? 
i guess we'll just have to wait and see if anyone gets disciplined for this... hopefully it happens soon 
they gotta take responsibility 4 their actions & make sure this kinda thing never happens again 
this community group is right 2 demand an independent investigation & consequences 4 the cops who did this 
St Paul police force against protesters was super harsh 
it's like collective punishment for people just trying to make a living and be heard! 
. That's not protest, that's police brutality 
it's all about who gets to tell the truth here? 
community leaders are right to demand action and accountability from the city council and police department. this isn't just about one incident, it's about systemic issues of racism and oppression in our law enforcement system 
. I mean, I get why they're trying to keep everyone safe, but excessive force is never the answer. It's like they were just looking for an excuse to bust out the big guns 
. The city council should definitely be doing a thorough investigation into what went down, though. I'd rather see them take action to prevent this kind of thing from happening again in the future 
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I can imagine how scary and overwhelming it must have been for those protesters, especially when they claimed they weren't even breaking any laws. It's heartbreaking to think that some officers used pepper spray on innocent people who just wanted to make their voices heard 
. It's amazing how much of a difference one person can make when they're passionate about creating change 
. The city council should definitely be looking into this, and I hope they take action to prevent something like this from happening again 
The city council needs to get to the bottom of this ASAP and make sure something like this never happens again. 
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. And shooting chemical munitions into the crowd? That's not something you do in a peaceful protest, you feel me? 
I'm gettin' so frustrated with this whole thing... I mean, come on officers, use pepper spray on people who aren't even breakin' any laws? That's just crazy talk! 
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