Jul 31, 2008 10:49 pm US/Central
Mayor: SWAT Award For Raid Sends Wrong Message
(WCCO)
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"The easy decision would have been to retreat under covering fire. The team did not take the easy way out," said Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan. (File)
CBS
Mayor R.T. Rybak was in the crowd on Monday when Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan handed out medals to SWAT team officers involved in a botched raid at an innocent family's home last December.
News of the awards prompted some heavy criticism, including an editorial in Thursday's Star Tribune.
The family's attorney, Tom Heffelfinger, said his clients were outraged by the awards and plans to sue the city.
Three days after the awards ceremony, Rybak has joined the ranks of those who don't think it was a good idea.
In a letter sent on Thursday to Minneapolis City Council members, Rybak writes: "Giving this award at this time sends the wrong message to the community at a time when Minneapolis and the Police Department are working hard to strengthen connections with the community, and I don't want this to happen again. I have directed Chief Dolan to review the MPD process for giving awards and report back to me within one month on ways to prevent situations like this in the future."
The mayor also praised the SWAT team in his letter, saying they "handled a difficult situation with professionalism and bravery."
The SWAT team was cleared by an internal review on their handling of the raid, which involved a shootout with the homeowner, who thought criminals were breaking into his home.
An internal review is still under way into the early stages of the police operation, which involved the MPD's Violent Offenders Task Force who received bad information from an informant that a gang member lived in the raided house.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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