Lawsuit Alleges Minnesota State Patrol Destroyed Emails and Messages After Floyd Protests
To potentially avoid scrutiny over misconduct, a majority of the Minnesota State Patrol deleted their data immediately after confronting protestors and rioters.
Landwebs
During a July 28, 2021 hearing, Minnesota State Patrol Maj. Joseph Dwyer testified that he and a “vast majority of the agency” deleted text messages and emails immediately after the protests and riots over the murder of George Floyd in a lawsuit that alleges the agency targeted journalists during the unrest, reports the Associated Press.
Attorneys for the Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said the file destruction makes it nearly impossible to track the State Patrol’s behavior, as courts and investigators are trying to determine whether law enforcement used improper force against demonstrators. The lawsuit alleges the Minneapolis Police Department and the State Patrol used unnecessary and excessive force to suppress First Amendment rights to cover the unrest last summer. It’s one of several lawsuits filed against law enforcement for alleged constitutional violations in use of force last summer.
