Minneapolis officer reprimanded for not reporting use of force in aftermath of George Floyd killing

Minneapolis police have disciplined an officer for failing to report that he fired "less-lethal" ammunition during the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd.

Police Chief Medaria Arradondo issued officer Oscar Macias a written reprimand on Oct. 9. after Macias struck two people with 40-mm "marking rounds" on May 28, 2020, but never submitted written documentation of his actions, according to the disciplinary record published on the city website this month.

"I expect Minneapolis Police officers to document use of force in compliance with our policies," Arradondo wrote in the memo explaining his decision. "This supports transparency and accountability which are critical for building and maintaining trust with the communities we serve."

Departmental policy requires that officers report their uses of force, including the discharge of 40-mm rounds, which are often made of rubber, plastic or small beanbags. Authorities across the country regularly use such "less-lethal" rounds to control crowds. Though they are designed to stop but not kill a target, the rounds can cause serious injuries.

Macias told investigators that he remembered writing reports at the end of his shifts to document his actions, but his report from May 28 was missing because of computer issues, the chief's memo said.

"Unfortunately, our [records management] system isn't equipped to track data about information that an officer may have started to enter if the upload was not completed," said police spokeswoman Cyndi Barrington in response to questions about whether any computer issues were found. "There is no indication that the records management system is not functioning properly and the vendor provides regular support for the system."

Macias is the second officer to be formally disciplined by the chief for misconduct tied to the department's response to protests last summer. The first, Colleen Ryan, was issued a letter of reprimand for speaking to the press for an article about the Police Department's "toxic culture" without permission.

Though he has been investigated for six previous misconduct complaints, the recent reprimand is the first disciplinary action for Macias, who has been with the department for more than a decade. It was the lowest available disciplinary action for Arradondo to issue.

"It is clear to me that Officer Macias was not attempting to obscure his conduct as he had his body worn camera activated during this incident," Arradondo said. "He described his use of force and reasoning without apparent hesitation in his statement made during this investigation. Officer Macias has a history of being recognized for exemplary work and a lack of prior discipline."

The Minnesota Reformer first reported on the disciplinary action against Macias.

According to the chief, only two members of the city's Police Conduct Review Panel agreed that Macias' violation of policy merited discipline.