Mpls. SWAT officer arrested in suburban robberies
A Minneapolis police SWAT team member was arrested Thursday in a string of robberies in suburban Dakota County.
Police Chief Tim Dolan said Thursday that officers in his department helped break the case, and the FBI was investigating.
Dolan told reporters that he was shocked by the arrest, and that his department spends a tremendous amount of resources trying to recruit the best people to the force.
"We do have a few that fail," he conceded. "It does tarnish the badge, the badge of the Minneapolis Police Department."
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The officer was not immediately charged and authorities did not immediately say which specific robberies they believe he committed. FBI spokesman E.K. Wilson said he couldn't comment.
The officer was initially booked into the Dakota County Jail, but officials said he was no longer there late Thursday morning and is the custody of the U.S. Marshal's Service.
The 28-year-old officer had been assigned to the 3rd Precinct of south Minneapolis.
"It's disgusting," said John Delmonico, president of the Minneapolis Police Federation. "I don't even know what words I could use ... The actions of this guy have a bad reflection on every Minneapolis cop today. For all the cops who go out and do a good job every day, it's pathetic."
Delmonico said the union will do nothing to help the accused officer.
"Whatever they do to this guy, in my opinion, won't be enough," he said.
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Associated Press writer Amy Forliti contributed to this story.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
