No sooner has he put his arms back on the table than another customer comes up to schmooze. By signing up to receive emails, you agree to receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation's journalism. But being from here has absolutely helped me in terms of grounding the vision that I have for this police department. But-- or they will be left behind. And we're talking about the same things. jQuery("#magazine_text_382199").html(magazine_text_382199); He manages the departments day-to-day operations and oversees the police-community relations program. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { And the conversations when I'm having that with my son and other fathers have had that with their sons, um, it's about survival. And-- and-- that is-- that-- that occurs. My decision at this point, quite frankly was just that its time. Honestly, part of the reason is, everywhere we go out in public with him in the city of Minneapolis, its tough to get work done, says police spokesman John Elder. Did you encounter any technical issues? The first priority always is going to be the preservation of life, he said. var arrayLength = myStringArray.length; tn_keyword: ['black-live', 'george-flo', 'police-bru', 'racial-vio'], He will not mince any words. After Ms. Ruszczyk was killed, several changes were implemented in the department, including a requirement that Minneapolis police officers turn on their body cameras as soon as they start responding to 911 calls. if( inline_cta_2_bg_color_382199 !='' ){ Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified Monday that fired officer Derek Chauvin violated the department's use-of-force policy on the day of George Floyd's death. placementName: "thenation_article_indent", In Seattle, police used tear gas multiple timesduring a respiratory pandemicbefore Chief Carmen Best temporarily banned it. Medaria Arradondo from tree Hernandez Family Tree. There were pockets of uncertainty. By the time Floyd was killed, the MPD had already implemented many of the police reforms considered best practices. Is that unusual for a big-city police chief? She filmed a squad car idling near a barricade at George Floyd Square while she debated with with an officer inside. Among the many considerations facing Arradondo was weighing the potential fallout from firing the officers so quickly after the incident, Belton said. I used to moonlight there Friday nights. }) That work wasnt to arrest or to overpolice. He spent his first year working out of the paper's Washington County bureau, focusing on transportation and education issues, before moving to the Dakota County team. pg.acq.push(function() { cta_2_check_382199 = true; tn_keyword: ['black-live', 'george-flo', 'police-bru', 'racial-vio'], The guy who buddies call Rondo worked his way up through the MPD ranks with stints on the beat in the Fourth Precinct, as the commander of Internal Affairs, and as assistant chief during the police shooting of Jamar Clark. If youre not getting any fouls, youre not playing hard enough., Compared to Kroll, Arradondo is a woke king. } } I absolutely agree that violates our policy, he told the jury regarding Chauvins actions. You knew your neighbors and they knew you. var cta_2_check_382199 = false; And I've continued to have very serious conversations with him. cta_2_check_382199 = true; He said that by then it had dawned on him that Floyd's death was "going to be a significant incident for the city," according to the documents. ga('ads.send', { Chief Medaria Arradondo: I, as chief am-- am stepping away from that. eventAction: 'render' Produced by Sarah Koch. He's previously written forThrillist.com, Metro, and Minnesota Business. Q: There was a group of community activists and members who pushed for you to become chief and even marched down to City Hall after Jane Harteau (Arradondo's predecessor) resigned following . The buildings entrance, once glass, has been blocked by cement. We spoke with the chief remotely, discussing the events of May 25, the video that ignited it all and the police response, which started with a lie. MINNEAPOLIS -- Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced Monday that he won't accept a third term as chief, a blow to a department that has been reeling since four officers were charged in George Floyd's death. During the second week of jury selection, Arradondo held another press conference. No criminal charges were brought. In 2007, he filed a lawsuit against the department alleging racism, citing, for instance, a White Power patch worn by Lt. Bob Krolla white Trump ally and former president of the Minneapolis Police Federation. Medaria Arradondo, the Minneapolis chief of police, talks about what cops get wrong, what Trump thinks about the city, and why he sits in on the interview for every single new hire. var is_user_logged_in = getCookie('SESSname'); if( is_user_logged_in != null ){ if( inline_cta_2_font_color_382199 !='' ){ The arts and entertainment blog. I still remember, growing up, the crack epidemic. It was a 17-year-old who recorded this now infamous video showing that truth. Arradondo took the helm of the MPD in 2017, nearly three decades after he joined. inline_cta_text_382199 = '

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'; Protesters suffered everything from eye trauma to brain injuries as a result. First published on June 21, 2020 / 7:06 PM. What were your impressions of cops growing up? Updated After much personal reflection and thoughtful discussions with my family and Mayor Frey, I have made the decision that I will not be accepting a new term as chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, Arradondo said. } Officer Derek Chauvin had at least 17 complaints against him, but only received two letters of reprimand. jQuery("#magazine_button_382199 a").attr("href",magazine_button_url_382199); Im breaking the healthy vibe by ordering a brisket Reuben when a passerby breaks into our convo to shake the chiefs hand. window.onload = function() Im going to try to see if I can work part time at the Electric Fetus. The prosecution called Medaria Arradondo, the Minneapolis police chief, to testify on Monday. tn_ptype: 'article', At the time of Ms. Ruszczyks death, Chief Arradondo was the assistant chief. }); Asked if he plans to run for public office including governor Arrandondo said no. inline_cta_2_url_382199 = 'https://subscriptions.thenation.com/Nation_index?pk=G2A1C6M'; So I sit in on the interview for every single candidate, whether theyre for community service officer, recruit, or cadet. In fact, save for a brief stint walking the airport beat in the late 1980s, the chief has spent his whole adult life working for the hometown squad. Screen Printing and Embroidery for clothing and accessories, as well as Technical Screenprinting, Overlays, and Labels for industrial and commercial applications It was just to build relationships. In 2007, along with four other African-American officers, Arradondo sued the Minneapolis Police Department alleging discrimination in promotions, pay, and discipline. Chief Medaria Arradondo: Well, whatever he might have expected, he did not receive that from me. Its important for me to remind them that the overwhelming majority of the community appreciates and understands the importance of good public safety. Arradondo, the city's first Black police chief, was promoted in 2017 following the firing of his predecessor for her handling of the fatal police shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who . He fired the four officers involved within 24 hours. Absolutely. events taking place. Chief Medaria Arradondo: I wanted to pay my respects-- to Mr. Floyd. Last December, Arradondo took to the podium to share inflated statistics about his departments use of helicopters in local police ops. Floyds death under an officers knee quickly mainstreamed abolitionist thought by suggesting police reform is ineffective and insufficient. hitType: 'event', pg.acq.push(function() { We are one of the worlds fastest growing Arradondo was chief when Floyd died while in police custody on May 25, 2020. ", In regard to his decision to fire all four officers, the chief said it "was not based on some sort of hierarchy. He died after a police. Moss said in an interview that the chief had always shown a willingness to consult with various groups before making major decisions. var cta_1_check_382199 = false; Q&A: Minneapolis Chief of Police Medaria Arradondo. [18], Arradondo is one of nine siblings. He was the first black chief of the Minneapolis Police Department. }); What we know about Medaria Arradondo, the Minneapolis police chief. var myStringArray = mp_global.tag; Arradondo described the footage to those who hadn't seen it, Howell said, and "shared his concerns about the video, about what actually happened. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/05/us/medaria-arradondo-minneapolis-police-chief.html, Medaria Arradondo, the Minneapolis Police Chief, testified on Monday, several changes were implemented in the department. And then another. var inline_cta_2_font_color_382199 = ''; tn_loc:'atf' And I said, no, thats too important to me. Lesley Stahl: And you just, I believe, banned chokeholds. The chief says those barriers protect police against charges of misconduct. Minneapolis, Minn.Shielded by plexiglass, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo sits with his hands folded. While Chief Jane Harteau remains out of public view on what a spokesperson called a personal, pre-scheduled trip, Arradondo nicknamed Rondo has been the face of the MPD during the aftermath of the Justine Damond shooting, whose killing by officer Mohamed Noor has made international headlines. They were a fixture in the backdrop of our lives. "It's very rare that you're going to see a chief either appear for the defense or the prosecution. Even while protests broke out across the country over George Floyd's death, another black man was shot by a white officer in Atlanta, and 24 hours later, the Atlanta police chief resigned. tn_articleid: [382199], If we have even one who is allowed to come back that sets us back. inline_cta_button_text_382199 = ''; tn_subject: ['activism', 'budgets', 'jails-and-', 'law', 'police-and', 'race-and-e', 'racism-and', 'social-jus', 'society'], Being out of that squad car and getting to know the families and the kids by name. What do police get wrong about their communities? In fact, folks used to come in and I was the cop at the door. var magazine_button_bg_color_382199 = '';