The verdict is in on the fatal shooting of Jamar Clark, a 24-year-old Minneapolis man who died at the hands of police on Nov. 15, 2015. A federal investigation concluded on Wednesday cleared officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze of any wrongdoing.
But Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Minneapolis Police union, had some choice words following the announcement vindicating the officers.
CBS Minneapolis affiliate WCCO notes that Kroll “blasted Mayor Betsy Hodges and Minneapolis City Council members Alondra Cano, Cam Gordon and Lisa Bender for creating what he called a ‘dangerous and unproductive atmosphere.'”
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He was referring to a weeks-long protests that culminated with an 18-day occupation of the area outside the city’s 4th Precinct, where the two officers are stationed. During the time, crowds grew out of control and violence ensued.
But Kroll’s harshest criticism was of Black Lives Matter, which he described as a “terrorist organization.”
I don’t see Black Lives Matter as a voice for the black community in Minneapolis. The disruption, the, you know, they firebombed the precinct. There were shootings outside the precinct, hundreds of thousands of dollars [of damage] to the precinct and squad cars.
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Kroll ended the [news] conference by criticizing the fact that the officers are now in the midst of a third investigation, at the hands of Minneapolis Police.
“What other career do you get investigated three times for the same incident?” Kroll said.
Ringgenberg and Schwarze have been cleared by two investigations: one by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and one by the FBI.
A video of the remarks by U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger follows:
