MURDER CHARGE-JUVENILE

14-year-old Duluth boy held in death of family member

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — A 14-year-old Duluth boy is in custody in connection with the death of a 19-year-old family member. Duluth police say officers responded to a medical call and found a 19-year-old woman injured and unresponsive. Officers apprehended the boy after he was “determined to be involved.” He is being held on suspicion of second-degree murder pending formal charges. Officers had been at the same address earlier Friday. They had responded to a call of a disturbance, and an adult male member of the same family was alleged to have been assaulted. Police determined there’d been no assault, and left the scene.

AP-US-FATAL-POLICE-PURSUIT-OFFICER-CHARGED

Minneapolis cop seeks dismissal of charges in fatal pursuit

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former Minneapolis police officer has asked a judge to dismiss charges that he killed a man during a high-speed chase, saying the pursuit was justified. Prosecutors charged Brian Cummings in October with second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide in the July death of Leneal Frazier. He was the uncle of Darnella Frazier, who shot the cellphone video of George Floyd's death. Authorities say Cummings was pursuing suspected robbers when he collided with Leneal Frazier's SUV. Defense attorney Thomas Plunkett argues in the dismissal motion that the pursuit was consistent with the police department's policies and prosecutors have singled out Cummings. Prosecutors said Friday they will file a written response in court.

PEDESTRIAN KILLED

Investigators search for witnesses to fatal pedestrian crash

HUDSON, Wis. (AP) — St. Croix County sheriff’s officials say they are looking for additional witnesses to a fatal pedestrian accident near Hudson. Twenty-seven-year-old Joshua Thesig, of Ramsey, Minnesota, was struck as he crossed Highway 35 in Troy early Sunday. The sheriff’s office says emergency medical responders transported Thesig to Regions Hospital where he died on Wednesday. Authorities say there were motorists who stopped at the crash scene, but they continue to search for several other vehicles that were in the area at the time. Officials say reduced visibility and challenging road conditions due to the wintry weather could have been factors in the crash.

MILLE LACS RESERVATION

Ruling leaves original Mille Lacs reservation intact

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Leaders of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe say a ruling by a federal judge on its reservation boundaries is a “historic milestone” for the tribe. The ruling by Judge Susan Richard Nelson determined the band’s original reservation boundaries set forth in a treaty decades ago remain intact. The band has been involved in a long-running legal dispute with Mille Lacs County, which has argued that the reservation no longer exists because it was dissolved by later treaties and congressional actions. The dispute arose when the Mille Lacs Band sued the county over policing. The underlying lawsuit still needs to be decided, but tribal leaders see the judge’s opinion on the reservation boundaries as a big win.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-MINNESOTA

Minnesota lawmakers plan bipartisan divestment from Russia

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A bipartisan coalition of legislative leaders has announced a deal to divest Minnesota’s pension funds from Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Minnesota joins governors and lawmakers across the country in putting financial pressure on the Russian Federation. The state’s pensions funds were estimated to be worth around $53 million before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The legislation would also codify an executive order from Democratic Gov. Tim Walz that prohibits state agencies from doing business with Russian companies. Leaders say they expect the bill to pass both chambers within the next couple weeks after going through the committee process.

PUBLIC DEFENDERS-STRIKE AUTHORIZED

State public defenders poised to strike over pay, staffing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — More than 700 workers involved in defending people who in most cases can’t afford to hire a private attorney have authorized what would be an unprecedented strike Minnesota. The public defenders and staff, represented by Teamsters Local 320, rejected the latest contract offer from the Minnesota Board of Public Defense. The union and board now have 10 days to negotiate a settlement. The two sides have been haggling over pay disparities with other agencies, staffing levels and other issues. The Board of Public Defense said it agrees that public defenders are underpaid and offices understaffed, but the board is “constrained in its negotiations by the resources provided by the state to provide these constitutionally mandated services across Minnesota.”

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE-MINNESOTA

Deal to stop Minnesota business tax increase remains elusive

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota legislative leaders remain far apart on a deal to avert a looming increase in unemployment insurance taxes on businesses. They couldn’t even agree Thursday on whether the deadline is next Tuesday, or later. Bills reflecting the automatic tax increase are due to go out to employers on Tuesday. The money would be used to replenish the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund, which has been drained by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate has approved using federal relief money to plug the gap. But House Democrats continue to link a fix with a long-stalled plan for “hero pay” for front-line workers.

BOOGALOO SENTENCE-MINNESOTA

"Boogaloo' member sentenced to 3 years on weapons charges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A self-described member of an anti-government extremist group accused of taking advantage of the unrest after George Floyd’s killing to raise money for the movement has been sentenced to three years in federal prison. Michael Robert Solomon, of New Brighton, Minnesota, admitted to selling silencers and other firearm components to FBI informants he believed were members of the Hamas terror group. The 31-year-old Solomon is one of a handful of men charged in Minnesota to be identified as members of the “boogaloo” movement. Prosecutors recommended a 10-year sentence. U.S. District Judge Michael Davis compared Solomon’s case to those of other terrorism cases that have been sentenced, all at a lower level than prosecutors wanted.

News from © The Associated Press, 2022