Via Blois Olson on Twitter (below) and related stories, we have the letter of Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson to Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot, who has expressed nothing but scorn for law enforcement authorities seeking to protect the Brooklyn Center Police Department in the aftermath of the death of Daunte Wright. Here I am following Mark Freie’s report and Rose Semenov’s FOX 9 story.
BREAKING: In letter @HennepinSheriff asks @mayor_elliott for clarification on mutual aid request and suggests city and Mayoral action has caused “significant confusion”. LETTER: https://t.co/gCS4wrJurw
Cc: @wccoradio #mnleg
— Blois Olson (@bloisolson) April 15, 2021
In his April 14 letter Hutchinson asked Elliott to confirm that the City of Brooklyn Center still desires mutual aid from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. Hutchinson writes, “The City’s actions since Sunday have created significant confusion. In order to maintain peace and safety, it is critical that the City of Brooklyn Center communicate with its State, County, and local law enforcement partners regarding its ongoing need for mutual aid.”
Elliott, by the way, has seized the moment to take control over the Brooklyn Center Police Department and fire Chief Tim Gannon. He is a proponent of the never let a crisis go to waste school of political science.
On Monday the Brooklyn Center City Council (of which Elliott is a member) passed a resolution banning police crowd control tactics such as rubber bullets, tear gas, chokeholds, and “kettling” (the crowd-control technique in which police corral protesters in order to arrest them).
On Tuesday, Elliot issued a Mayoral Emergency Proclamation authorizing law enforcement – including Brooklyn Center police officers as well as those responding from other agencies – to use the minimal level of force that is reasonable, necessary, and appropriate to respond to the civil unrest. On Wednesday, however, Elliott expressed his concerns about law enforcement tactics used to control crowds outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department. When you come right down to it, Elliott would prefer that the authorities employ a defensive crouch.
It’s difficult to keep up. At 12:20 a.m. this morning the Operation Safety Net team that was formed to protect infrastructure in the wake of the Derek Chauvin verdict held a news conference to discuss the events of last night. I have posted the video above. We were advised as usual not to discuss the time or location of the briefing. The briefing proper begins at about 2:00. They advise that the situation in Brooklyn Center deteriorated last night.
The authorities have redeployed Operation Safety Net forces from the Chauvin trial mission to Brooklyn Center. This week the OSN team jumped into Phase 3 (of 4) of their plan — the one that was intended to kick into effect during jury deliberations. Hutchinson speaks at about 8:00. At about 12:30 Minnesota State Patrol Chief Matt Langer pleads for help. At about 15:00 Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington cites evidence in support of my theory that we are in the revolution for the hell of it phase of events. The video of the briefing is actually worth your time if you want to understand the challenge that law enforcement faces in seeking to protect and secure Brooklyn Center.
So what was Elliott’s response to Hutchinson’s letter? Damned if I can find the answer. In search of plausible deniability, Elliott must have whispered something in Hutchinson’s ear.
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