Crime, Law and Justice

St. Paul police fight catalytic converter thefts with spray paint 
St. Paul police are taking a new approach to fighting catalytic converter thefts: They're offering to paint the devices underneath cars and SUVs to deter thieves. 
Chauvin trial: MPD instructor says cops aren't trained to use knee on neck
A Minneapolis use-of-force instructor testified that officers aren't trained to use their legs or knees on somebody's neck, while another police official told jurors that Derek Chauvin received extensive training in how to defuse tense situations.
Explainer: Doctor’s testimony details Floyd’s heart activity
Dr. Bradford Langenfeld was on duty at Hennepin County Medical Center the night Floyd was brought in after being restrained by police last May, and testified Monday at the trial of one of the officers. Here’s what the doctor saw and what it means.
Explainer: Was officer's knee on Floyd's neck authorized?
At the time of his May 25 arrest, the neck restraint that Derek Chauvin used was permitted under Police Department policy — provided certain guidelines and conditions were followed. Prosecutors say even if Chauvin's knee on George Floyd's neck was OK by policy, it wasn't OK to pin him for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. 
High court nixes Alex Jones' appeal in Newtown shooting case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal by Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who was fighting a Connecticut court sanction in a defamation lawsuit brought by relatives of some of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Explainer: Legion of Chauvin prosecutors, each with own role
Viewers watching the trial of a former Minneapolis officer charged with murder in George Floyd 's death may be struck by the array of prosecutors taking turns presenting their case. The choice of who does what is no accident.
Chauvin trial: Floyd restraint violated cops' training, ethics, chief says
Derek Chauvin should have stopped subduing George Floyd once Floyd stopped resisting, Medaria Arradondo told the court in Chauvin’s murder trial. The chief said Chauvin’s use of force on Floyd was not reasonable and outside the bounds of department policy.
Photos: People's Power Love Fest at George Floyd Square
With bright sunshine and unseasonable warmth making it feel more like summer, George Floyd Square in south Minneapolis hosted the People’s Power Love Fest on Sunday.
Door by door, backers of Minneapolis public safety reform effort seek community support
Minneapolis residents may see multiple approaches to public safety reform on the ballot this November. Sunday was the final day for backers of one of those efforts — the Yes 4 Minneapolis coalition — to collect signatures to put their proposed city charter amendment before voters.