MINNESOTA--Activist Al Flowers says he was visited by Minneapolis police on July 26 and then viciously beaten, all because he asked to see an officer’s warrant.
Flowers, 55, is a critic of the Minneapolis Police Department and said, speaking through attorney and State Senator Bobby Jo Champion, that police assaulted him after they came to his home to arrest his 16 year old daughter for violation of home monitoring.
A friend of Flowers reportedly said that the Flowers’ daughter wears an ankle monitoring bracelet due to a prior run in with the law. She was reportedly allowed a two hour window on Friday to go to Hennepin County Medical Center for a health issue but didn’t return home until late that night.
Flowers allegedly demanded that officers show a warrant before entering his home, and was then physically assaulted by police.
According to The Free Thought, a Facebook page about the incident says Flowers was already handcuffed when he was beaten by police:
Quote:
According a statement to the Star Tribune, Flowers’ attorney, Champion said, “By all indicators … no warrant was presented to Mr. Flowers. And he asked. Like any person, he just asked for a copy of the warrant. That doesn’t mean you’re hiding anything … It means you’re exercising your right as a citizen of the United States.”
Flowers was arrested for obstruction of justice and and assaulting 33-year-old officer Christopher Reiter. Flowers’ attorney denies claims that his client was involved in a fight with the officer.
“I did not see any injuries to Flowers’ hands, nothing to symbolize he had been punching anything,” said Champion.
Flowers, however, had a swollen face and required stitches.
Mayor Betsy Hodges and Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau held a press conference where they refused to answer questions.
Flowers is currently recovering at home.
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Friday, August 1st 2014 at 12:59PM
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