Independent review will examine law enforcement response to Minnesota lawmaker shootings
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Several Minnesota law enforcement agencies are requesting an independent review of their response to the June shootings targeting state lawmakers — including the assassinations of former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.
The review will examine the extensive law enforcement response following the first 911 call early on the morning of June 14, when State Sen. John Hoffman’s daughter called police to report the shooting that injured Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
The city councils in Brooklyn Park and Champlin approved contracts for the review at their meetings on Monday. Other agencies requesting the review include the New Hope Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety — which includes the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the State Patrol.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley told the Brooklyn Park City Council at Monday’s meeting that the outside review will help determine what worked in that widespread response, and what could use improvement.
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“An after-action report done by a third party is truly best practice, in my mind,” Bruley said. “I think we need to do one, because it improves future response. How do we get better if we don’t look at how we did it?”
The review will cover the 43-hour period between the first 911 call and the arrest of suspected shooter Vance Boelter.
Bruley said the review will give a comprehensive look at the law enforcement response — and he said it will paint a more reliable picture than rumors he’s heard and leaked information that he said he’s seen in the media.
“There’s been a lot of political posturing around this,” Bruley said. “The responsible thing is to get the facts and have objective individuals put together recommendations. That’s how we get the best outcome.”
The review will be conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, a nonprofit group based in Virginia. It will cost $429,500, with the state paying nearly half of the cost and Hennepin County covering another $165,000. The remaining expense will be divided among the three cities.
Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said in a statement that the department is looking to find ways to improve on its response.
“This after-action review not only represents Minnesota’s commitment to learning and improving but also to honoring the lives that were lost and forever changed because of one person’s horrific actions," Jacobson said.
In a news release, the city of Champlin said the contract is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, once all parties have signed on. The review will take about six months.
The city said the findings of the review will be made public, once the report is complete.
Use the audio player above to hear a conversation from Minnesota Now with MPR News host Nina Moini and Robert Davis, a retired police chief and law enforcement consultant who conducted the after-action report for Minneapolis following the murder of George Floyd. Produced by Aleesa Kuznetsov.
