Minnesota News Network

Police release bodycam video of officers fatally shooting man in St. Paul

Body camera footage police released Friday shows 43-year-old William “Billy” Hughes walking onto the front porch of a house in Saint Paul with a gun in his hand and officers screaming at him multiple times to drop the weapon. Hughes starts to raise the gun and officers fatally shoot him. Search warrant affidavits show Hughes reportedly fired two shots in the apartment in a fit of rage and then pointed the gun at his roommate’s head. Relatives told investigators Hughes had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had reportedly sent texts that he had contemplated suicide. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi says while the video is one critical piece of evidence, it does not tell the entire story. Choi says testimony of the officers and of Hughes’ friend who called 9-1-1 plus other key facts are crucial.

 

Air quality alert expanded to entire state

Smoke from Canadian wildfires in British Columbia, Alberta and western Ontario is moving south and the state Pollution Control Agency has expanded an air quality alert to the southern half of Minnesota beginning at 8 p-m tonight through noon Sunday. An alert has already been in effect in the northern half of the state since yesterday afternoon. Air pollution can aggravate heart and cardiovascular disease as well as lung diseases like asthma and COPD. Officials say by Sunday afternoon winds will switch to the south and air quality will improve.

Ellison denies domestic abuse allegations, says he will not drop out of attorney general race (with AUDIO)

Minnesota attorney general candidate, Congressman Keith Ellison faces increasing pressure as an ex-girlfriend accused him on national T-V of domestic abuse.  Karen Monahan says in 2016 Ellison screamed verbal abuse while trying to drag her off a bed by her legs and feet.  She told CBS News it was the only time Ellison was physically violent during their relationship, but she doesn’t want to share the video because it’s traumatizing.

Friday morning after greeting supporters on the campaign trail in north Minneapolis, Ellison reiterated, “I did not do this thing she’s accusing me of. That’s what I’ve said from the very beginning. That’s what I say now….  She could not have any video of me abusing her. That’s not possible…. I didn’t do those things that are alleged.”

And if it’s not true, why is Monahan accusing him?  “I’ve thought about that a million times and I’ve come up with nothing,… and I’m not gonna be able to speculate about motive,” Ellison said.  When asked if he parted amicably with Monahan, Ellison responded,  “Well, we parted, right? So obviously we had our differences, but we spoke many, many times after we broke up.”

The D-F-L Party’s State Central Committee meets in Cambridge Saturday and some pundits predict party leaders will not endorse Ellison, who won Tuesday’s Democratic primary election by a large margin. Ellison says he’ll be at the Central Committee meeting to state his case. Party leaders effectively have no way to take his name off the November ballot.

Ellison was asked whether,  for the good of the D-F-L Party, he’d consider dropping out of the attorney general race.  “No…. ’cause I didn’t do it.”

 

Audio from Ellison’s Friday morning media avail:

 

Dayton, Murphy endorse Walz for governor at DFL unity event, but Swanson not there

In a show of unity minus one key player, Governor Mark Dayton and DFL-endorsed candidate Erin Murphy are throwing their support to Tim Walz, winner of Tuesday’s primary election for Minnesota governor. Murphy says, “It’s very important to me and to Democrats across the state, and really to Minnesotans, that we come together around an agenda that propels Minnesota’s future together.”  Governor Dayton says he supports Walz “absolutely, wholeheartedly, without any doubt or reservation whatsoever.”

But Walz’s third rival in the primary, Attorney General Lori Swanson, wasn’t present at the unity event. D-F-L Party Chairman Ken Martin says they invited candidates who competed vigorously for the party endorsement — but Swanson entered the race after the D-F-L state convention. The day after Tuesday’s primary election, she urged her supporters to “join me in supporting Congressman Walz to be our next Governor.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inmate charged with slashing corrections officer’s face at Oak Park Heights prison

An inmate at the state prison in Oak Park Heights is charged with first-degree assault for slashing the face, scalp and hand of a corrections officer in late June, saying he was angry at the officer and wanted to permanently scar him. Authorities say 28-year-old Joshua Smith used a toothless comb with a razor blade attached. Smith is serving time for aiding and abetting the 2013 murder of a man from Foley.

 

Three years in prison for man who crashed into Mpls playground, injuring three siblings

The man who crashed into a north Minneapolis playground during a police chase, injuring three siblings, has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison. 27-year-old Kabaar Powell Junior pleaded guilty earlier. One of the children was nearly paralyzed and the Star Tribune reports the parents told Powell in court that their lives will never be the same. Kyle and Nicolle Peltier have signalled they’ll sue the State Patrol for not breaking off the chase before Powell went through almost two dozen stop signs at speeds topping 80 miles an hour.

 

Air quality alert in northern half of Minnesota

The state Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for the northern half of Minnesota through noon Sunday, due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. The affected area includes Brainerd, Bemidji, Duluth, Ely, and Moorhead and the tribal nations of Mille Lacs, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, and Red Lake. Air pollution can aggravate heart and cardiovascular disease as well as lung diseases like asthma and COPD.

 

DFL leaders support Ellison bid for attorney general “at this point,” despite domestic abuse allegations

Minnesota Democratic Party Chairman Ken Martin is not saying whether Congressman Keith Ellison should end his campaign for state attorney general, amid allegations of domestic abuse leveled by an ex-girlfriend.  Martin says, “The D-F-L Party takes any allegation of domestic abuse seriously. It’s a fluid situation. It’s still developing. We believe that Keith Ellison should answer the questions that have been posed to him and he should address those questions head-on.”  But Martin says “Keith is our nominee and… at this point we support him.”

The D-F-L State Central Committee meets Saturday and one question is whether they’ll endorse Ellison, who bested four Democratic rivals by a large margin in Tuesday’s primary election.

 

Police release bodycam video of officers fatally shooting man in St. Paul

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Body camera footage police released Friday shows 43-year-old William “Billy” Hughes walking onto the front porch of a house in Saint Paul with a gun in his hand and officers screaming at him multiple times to drop the weapon. Hughes starts to raise the gun and officers fatally shoot him. Search warrant affidavits show Hughes […]

Air quality alert expanded to entire state

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Smoke from Canadian wildfires in British Columbia, Alberta and western Ontario is moving south and the state Pollution Control Agency has expanded an air quality alert to the southern half of Minnesota beginning at 8 p-m tonight through noon Sunday. An alert has already been in effect in the northern half of the state since […]

Twins host Tigers at Target Field

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Joe Mauer will be in the Minnesota Twins’ lineup Friday night and he’ll probably be in there the rest of the weekend, too, as the Twins continue a four-game series with the Tigers at Target Field. And barring injury, he’ll be suiting up on a regular basis over the last six weeks of the Twins’ […]

Gophers less than two weeks from opener

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Following P.J. Fleck’s whirlwind takeover of the program at Minnesota and a forgettable first year under the fast-talking, fun-loving, full-of-energy head coach, the newness is finally out of the way for the Gophers. Well, except for the quarterbacks. Regardless of whether redshirt freshman Tanner Morgan or true freshman Zack Annexstad is chosen as the starter […]

Twins tame Tigers

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TWINS 15, TIGERS 8 Logan Forsythe had a career-high five hits and Jorge Polanco drove in four runs as Minnesota outslugged Detroit. The teams combined for seven homers, with Polanco’s three-run shot accounting for one of three by the Twins. Miguel Sano and Ehire Adrianza also went deep for Minnesota, which broke the game open […]

Air quality alert in northern half of Minnesota

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The state Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for the northern half of Minnesota through noon Sunday, due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. The affected area includes Brainerd, Bemidji, Duluth, Ely, and Moorhead and the tribal nations of Mille Lacs, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, and Red Lake. Air pollution […]