A rocky start for interim MPD chief

As turmoil continues to define the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), recent actions by newly appointed interim Chief Amelia Huffman have not inspired confidence.

During her first weeks on the job, she provided incorrect preliminary information about the officer-involved shooting death of Amir Locke and made questionable decisions about department leadership changes.

Demonstrations calling for Huffman's ouster are focused on the MPD's latest controversy — the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Locke during a no-knock warrant operation last week at a downtown Minneapolis apartment.

But Huffman, who was appointed interim chief in December after the retirement of Medaria Arradondo, is also under fire for some of her first key personnel moves. Last week the Star Tribune reported that she had promoted David Garman to lead training for the MPD despite his being fired in 2009 for participating in the seizure of cellphones during a raid. The former "Officer of the Year" was later reinstated.

Garman was also sued by a family for his role in a raid by the city's now-defunct Metro Gang Strike Force that led to a $16,000 payout. At that time, the Star Tribune Editorial Board expressed concern about his return to work.

Regarding Locke, Huffman told an editorial writer that the early information she gave about Locke being a suspect was wrong and that she has apologized publicly and to Locke's family.

On her appointments, she said she stands by Garman's promotion because of all the work he's done over the past 12 years. She said he has acknowledged making mistakes but has invested in himself to learn from those experiences and change. She listed the jobs he has held and education and training he has received and said he is committed to the agenda of transforming the department.

But as a local activist pointed out, the choice showed a "lack of judgment."

"It's a really bad idea to put a man who has engaged in problematic conduct in charge of training other officers," Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, told a Star Tribune reporter. Gross said she thought the MPD "would have learned better by now after having Derek Chauvin as a field training officer."

It's also troubling that Huffman did not name Garman during a Jan. 26 news conference she held to announce some higher-level leadership changes.

In addition to Garman, Huffman promoted other officers with problematic pasts. Robert Berry was elevated to Third Precinct dogwatch lieutenant. In 2007, Berry was fired for ethical violations but was reinstated by an arbitrator. Berry's termination was reduced to a 40-hour suspension without pay. Then he was suspended for 60 hours without pay in 2019 for another ethics violation.

Two other officers promoted by Huffman were the subjects of lawsuits that resulted in city payouts. Officer Michael Frye was accused of assaulting a journalist during the 2008 Republican National Convention in the Twin Cities, while officer Brian Sand was accused of assaulting a man in 1999. In those cases, the city paid out $13,500 and $125,000, respectively.

Huffman said some of the officers were promoted under the civil service process, which she said limits the pool of candidates and outlines the criteria she can consider. She said going forward she'll support revising those rules to give the chief more flexibility.

Policing is difficult work, and even those involved in disciplinary actions can pay the price and change. And on paper all of the officers promoted by Huffman have the education and skills needed for their positions and have years of experience with the department.

Still, Huffman's handling of the recent appointments, along with the misinformation she first offered about the Locke shooting, have further damaged the MPD's credibility. And those actions indicate a kind of tone-deafness to a community that just voted to maintain the MPD on the promise of serious, lasting reform.