“The chief of police in Minneapolis has resigned at the request of the city’s mayor, Betsy Hodges (above right), after Hodges said she had ‘lost the confidence of the people,'” theguardian.com reports. The leadership change comes after the police shooting of Justine Damond. “as well as previous killings going back to 2013.”
Hence the protests by African Americans at the press conference [click on the link above to watch], at least one of whom called for the Mayor’s resignation. After the room was cleared, Mayor Hodges announced Janeé Harteau’s replacement.
Hodges nominated assistant chief Medaria Arradondo to be the next chief. Nicknamed “Rondo”, he served as the department’s public face after Damond’s shooting while Harteau was on personal leave. Arradondo, who is African-American, has been with the department since 1989.
Before the announcement, Mr. Arradondo said Ms. Diamond’s shooting “shouldn’t have happened.” Ya think? Here’s the outgoing chief’s resignation statement:
“Over the 30-plus years that I’ve served as a police officer in the City of Minneapolis, moving up through the ranks to police chief, I have woken up every day knowing that this job is not about me. It is about the members of the communities that we serve and the police officers who protect our residents. I am proud of the great work the MPD [Minneapolis Police Department] has accomplished…
“However, last Saturday’s tragedy, as well as some other incidents, have caused me to engage in deep reflection. The recent incidents do not reflect the training and procedures we’ve developed as a department.
“Despite the MPD’s many accomplishments under my leadership over these years and my love for the city, I have to put the communities we serve first. I’ve decided I am willing to step aside to let a fresh set of leadership eyes see what more can be done for the MPD to be the very best it can be. The city of Minneapolis deserves the very best.”