Today, Minnesota House legislators who represent parts of the city of Minneapolis sent the following letter to Gov. Tim Walz.
Dear Governor Walz:
We are writing to request that the case against the police officers who killed George Floyd, or may have been otherwise culpable in his death, be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Attorney General's office. Unfortunately, our constituents, especially constituents of color, have lost faith in the ability of Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to fairly and impartially investigate and prosecute these cases. Freeman's press conference on May 28th, in which he seemed ill-prepared and suggested that there was unseen exculpatory evidence that might exonerate the officers, further ruptured this trust.
Given the present circumstances, we believe that this case should be handled in a way that maximizes public trust and gives confidence to the public that justice will be done. Under the circumstances, transferring the case to the Attorney General's office would be one of the most decisive actions that you could take to calm public anger and guarantee a fair process. Attorney General Ellison has earned goodwill of Minneapolis residents through years of service to the city, and is known and respected throughout the community. It is imperative to signal to our constituents, as strongly and quickly as possible, that the authorities are treating this case with the special attention it deserves, and to demonstrate that all Minnesotans are equal in the eyes of the law.
Sincerely,
Representative Fue Lee, 59A
Representative Raymond Dehn, 59B
Representative Sydney Jordan, 60A
Representative Mohamud Noor, 60B
Representative Frank Hornstein, 61A
Representative Jamie Long, 61B
Representative Hodan Hassan, 62A
Representative Aisha Gomez, 62B?
Representative Jim Davnie, 63A
Representative Jean Wagenius, 63B
CC: Lieutenant Governor Flanagan
County Attorney Freeman
Representative Omar
Senator Klobuchar
Senator Smith