Rybak says cop controversy detracts from good police work
Two Minneapolis police officers captured on video using offensive language in Green Bay last month don't represent the values of the city or its police department, Mayor R.T. Rybak said today.
Video footage from the Green Bay police department shows the two white, off-duty officers after they were involved in an altercation with several African-American men. In a Green Bay police report obtained by KARE 11, at least one of the officers repeatedly used racial slurs.
• Read more about the incident
The officers also reportedly made derogatory remarks about Green Bay police and about their own police Chief, Janee Harteau -- referring to her sexuality and saying she was "looking to fire people for any reason," according to written reports.
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Rybak told MPR's Cathy Wurzer he fears the incident will lead some to unfairly judge all Minneapolis police officers.
"When something like this happens and people see that and hear that kind of outrageous language and attitude, it completely takes the attention away from the cops that are out there every single day, 24 hours, doing amazing work," the mayor said.
Harteau, who has called the incident "appalling" also apologized to the Green Bay police for the officers' behavior.
Minneapolis police officers Brian Thole and Shawn Powell, are under an internal investigation and both have been placed on home assignment, a police spokesman said. However, the spokesman would not say if Thole and Powell were the two officers involved in the incident.
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