Community Coalition Issues Damning "Report Card" Demanding Police Accountability in Minneapolis
On September 14, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) and partner organizations delivered a public "report card" outside Minneapolis City Hall, calling for sweeping police accountability in Minneapolis. Family members of crime victims and community advocates criticized Mayor Jacob Frey and the Minneapolis Police Department over flawed domestic violence investigations, excessive force, budget increases, and alleged cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Community members, advocacy organizations and families of people killed in encounters with police gathered outside Minneapolis City Hall on Sept. 14 for a press conference organized by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, delivering what organizers called a “report card” accusing Mayor Jacob Frey and the Minneapolis Police Department of failed investigations, excessive force, unchecked budget growth and cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Speakers came from several partner organizations, including the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, and the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council, along with family members of people they said were failed by systems supposed to protect them. Frey was not present.
A pattern, organizers say
TCC4J organizer Anusha Ramaswamy laid out the bulk of the coalition’s case, framing the event as a report card on Frey’s tenure. TCC4J was founded in 2015 following the killing of Jamar Clark by Minneapolis police, she said, and she traced a timeline of incidents under Frey she called a pattern rather than isolated failures.
That timeline included the 2020 killing of George Floyd by MPD officers; a 2021 contract Frey issued using emergency pandemic powers to reopen George Floyd Square, which drew council criticism; the 2022 killing of Amir Locke by officer Mark Hanneman during a no-knock warrant search, and Hanneman’s later promotion to sergeant and use-of-force trainer; a 2023 state finding that MPD engaged in a pattern of racially discriminatory policing; and the 2024 eviction of Camp Nenookaasi, a predominantly Indigenous encampment the city cited public safety issues, including a shooting, in closing. Camp occupants sued Frey over the evictions; a federal judge let the city proceed.
Ramaswamy also referenced the 2024 shooting of Davis Moturi by a neighbor. A city audit later found Moturi had called police 38 times in the preceding year; the accused shooter was charged with attempted murder.
Ramaswamy said former Police Chief Brian O’Hara resigned in May 2026 after Frey renominated him weeks earlier. Records show O’Hara’s resignation followed an investigation that found he interfered with a probe into relationship allegations that were never substantiated; what was substantiated was that he deleted a phone contact to conceal his connection to a witness. Frey called the interference “a breach of trust.”
Ramaswamy said Frey’s proposed budget includes a $13 million police overtime increase and an 11% property tax increase. The coalition called for firing Hanneman and officers involved in the cases below, ending police budget increases, eliminating the Commissioner of Public Safety role, an elected civilian police accountability commission, and Frey’s resignation if demands go unmet.
Mariah Samuels
Several speakers referenced Mariah Samuels, fatally shot outside her north Minneapolis home Sept. 14, 2025, one year to the day before this press conference. Samuels had filed for a protective order against her ex-boyfriend, David Wright, on Aug. 26, 2025, after an assault in which she said he attacked her and held a gun to her head.
Hennepin County Attorney’s Office spokesman Daniel Borgertpoepping confirmed Minneapolis police did not forward the Aug. 21 assault case to prosecutors before Samuels was killed. “The death of Mariah Samuels is devastating, and our thoughts are with her family,” he said. “We will thoroughly review the evidence for charging when this case is submitted to us.”
Wright was arrested the next day and later indicted on first-degree murder charges. He admitted on the stand to killing Samuels and was sentenced in April 2026 to life without parole.
Allison Lussier
Jana Williams, aunt of Allison Lussier, an Indigenous woman found dead in her North Loop apartment in February 2024, said her niece was beaten to death by a partner and that police failed to investigate for over a year.
An independent city audit found significant failures in how MPD handled Lussier’s case, including 12 calls to police before her death, incomplete witness statements and missing victim forms. The City Council unanimously passed “Allison’s Law,” calling for statewide reforms to domestic violence investigations. Then-Chief O’Hara apologized after previously describing drugs in Lussier’s system as “massive,” calling the comment painful to her family.
Williams also described the 2020 killing of her other niece, Arionna Buckanaga, shot in a drive-by shooting at 18. A suspect was charged in March 2026, based on DNA and physical evidence collected at the time.
Police response to a home search
Ebony Dobbins told the crowd MPD officers entered her home March 25 after a report of a loose dog, entering through her seven-year-old son’s bedroom window while two children slept inside. She said officers stood outside for more than two hours with weapons visible before entering, and that her own security and body camera footage contradict the official report. She said she has spent more than a year seeking records without a satisfactory city response.
Federal immigration enforcement allegations
Yann Chen, of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, said MPD provided support to ICE and CBP agents during recent immigration enforcement activity, including claims officers assisted federal agents during confrontations with community members. Chen connected the incidents to what she called “Operation Metro Surge.” Renee Good was killed by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis in January 2026, drawing national attention; federal officials say the agent acted in self-defense, while bystander video left the circumstances contested.
A campaign for community control
Coalition members framed the event as part of a push for community control of MPD. Organizer Jae Yates said the campaign’s petition had collected nearly 11,000 of a 15,000-signature goal by May.
No response from the mayor’s office
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder requested comment from Mayor Frey’s office on the report card, the Samuels and Lussier cases, the ICE allegations, and budget and community control questions. Frey’s office did not respond by the requested deadline of 5 p.m. Sept. 17.
Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.