Minneapolis police 'separate' with officer accused of assaulting unarmed man in previous job

Just seven months after hiring him, the Minneapolis Police Department has "separated" employment ties with Tyler Timberlake, an officer accused of assaulting an unarmed Black man three years ago when he worked for a police department in Fairfax County, Va.

Timberlake's last day of employment was Wednesday, Minneapolis city spokesman Casper Hill said Thursday. Citing public data laws, he would not say whether Timberlake was fired or quit.

Responding to the news Thursday night, Minneapolis Police Officers Federation President Sherral Schmidt accused Chief Brian O'Hara of pandering to a "politically charged narrative" after news articles drew attention to Timberlake joining the force. Contradicting the chief's public statements that he hadn't known about Timberlake's hire, Schmidt said O'Hara was present during his final interview.

"[Timberlake] was assured by Chief O'Hara he would be OK, if he did good work," Schmidt said in a statement.

O'Hara declined to be interviewed Thursday.

In April, community activists called for Timberlake's firing after revelations that he'd used a stun gun on the man in Virginia with no apparent provocation in the days after George Floyd's murder. At the time, Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. said in a 2020 news conference that the use of force, which was captured on a video that made national headlines, was "horrible" and "erodes the public's trust of police officers."

Timberlake was charged with three misdemeanor counts of assault and battery. A Virginia jury ultimately found him not guilty. Last year, Fairfax County settled a lawsuit with the victim for $150,000.

Timberlake's employment in Minneapolis — first reported by the Minnesota Reformer — prompted questions from police watchdogs on why O'Hara, who was appointed last year on the promise to remake the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), would sign off on the hire.

"How could this happen? What was the process? How could he slip through the process?" the Rev. Ian Bethel, co-chair of the Police Community Relations Council, wrote in a letter to O'Hara in April.

"Tyler Timberlake should not have been considered as a recruit given evidence available for all to see on the internet. He should not have a role in law enforcement at MPD or as a civilian at MPD. Terminate MPD's relationship with him immediately, period."

Timberlake did not respond to a call from a reporter.

Police body-worn camera footage from June 5, 2020, shows Timberlake and other officers and paramedics responding about 1:30 p.m. to a report of a man in Mount Vernon, Va., who said he needed oxygen. The recording shows officers arriving to find Lamonta Gladney pacing in circles, responding confusedly to their questions.

"Sir, are you doing OK?" asks an officer, who urges Gladney to move from the middle of the road.

The officer and a paramedic try to coax Gladney into an ambulance. Timberlake then approaches and orders Gladney to get down before shooting him with a stun gun. Gladney drops and writhes on the pavement, and Timberlake climbs on top of him. "Roll over," the officer commands, as he wrestles the man on the street.

"Help! Help! No! No!" Gladney shouts as Timberlake repeatedly discharges the stun gun, sending more jolts of electricity into him.

In a news release in April, after the Reformer's story, O'Hara said he was "extremely concerned" by the hire and vowed to conduct an internal investigation.

Timberlake would not be policing on the streets pending the investigation, O'Hara said.

"We will get to the bottom of this and take whatever measures are necessary to ensure we are always hiring officers who meet our standards and that we are ultimately placing only the most competent police in the service and protection of the city of Minneapolis," he said.

O'Hara was appointed chief in November, succeeding Medaria Arradondo and interim Chief Amelia Huffman. He inherited a department that had been thrust into the international spotlight after officer Derek Chauvin killed Floyd, setting off riots and protests that culminated in the burning of the Third Precinct police headquarters.

Hundreds of officers have since left the department, and O'Hara entered the job on the promise of rebuilding the ranks and regaining public trust.