Ramsey County Attorney John Choi announced that his office will no longer prosecute cases where the charge comes from a non-public-safety traffic stop during a news conference on Wednesday. | Peter Cox, MPR News
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By Peter Cox
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi will no longer prosecute cases that stem solely from traffic stops unrelated to public safety such as for a broken tail light or expired tabs, ending a practice he said disproportionately affects people of color, especially African Americans. Those kinds of stops also rarely find contraband, Choi told reporters Wednesday.
“If you're looking for an example of systemic injustice or systemic racism, that’s it,” he said. “This pattern we have in America where we don't change and we don't listen to the voices of those who have been impacted.”
Choi's decision is supported by several departments including the St. Paul police, which updated guidance to its officers about traffic stops. Minneapolis made a similar move last month.
[ Full story]
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The front of the Hmong Cultural Center Museum in St. Paul, defaced. | Photo courtesy of the Hmong Cultural Center Museum
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By Matt Sepic
Police are investigating after vandals damaged the front of the Hmong Cultural Center Museum in St. Paul early Wednesday morning and spray-painted a slogan associated with a white supremacist group.
The museum recently expanded its exhibits on Hmong culture, history and contributions to the United States. It was about to hold a grand opening.
But program director Mark Pfeifer says vandals hit the University Avenue storefront with white paint and covered over anti-racist poetry written on plywood protecting the windows. Security footage below, provided by the museum, shows the vandalism taking place.
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“I think we're going to have to get a new sign for our museum, so that's $800 maybe. And there was some damage to the lock, too,” Pfeifer said.
The vandals also left a stencil reading “life, liberty, victory” — a slogan connected to the fascist group Patriot Front.
Pfeifer says security video shows three people getting out of a vehicle and vandalizing the building at around 3:40 a.m. They also damaged neighboring Hmong businesses.
“They came in one car together, and they all came out at the same time and started spraying, and it lasted a couple of minutes, but they did a lot,” Pfeifer said. “It's a big mess.”
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