A Cop's Perspective On The Block E Murder

This letter is purported to be from a Minneapolis Police Officer on scene at the time of the fatal Block E murder last Friday night. Here's the account, from the KQRS website (I have no confirmation that it's real, you'll have to use your own judgement):

April 4, 2006 - Block E Murder - The real scoop!

Downtown murder. The real scoop.

By the time you read this, I am not sure what facts will be out there. I have to write in. Last night was unbelievable, but not really. It was crazy, but it was predicted.

All the cops in downtown have been saying for months that an innocent suburbanite will be the victim of a shooting this summer. It's barely 50 degrees and we had our first (yes I mean our first) innocent murder at bar time.

The senerio:

1. Opening night of a ''gangster'' movie.
2. Approximately 1000 youth thug gang members from all over Mpls, all with different gang ties.
3. NOT enough cops. (I mean we only had about 40 in full uniform on Hennepin Av, 1st Av, and in Eblock.)
4. Thousands of people enjoying a beautiful night, walking from bar to bar, leaving restaurants, and going to shows.

Results:

10:15 pm - 1st person with a gun call. Gang fights outside Eblock. 911 caller reports one is waving a gun in the crowd. Officers arrive in seconds with large show of force. Gang bangers flee, several detained, no gun recovered.

10:30-11:30pm - Several more minor scraps between gang bangers, you can feel it in the air. I look at my partner and say, ''I can feel it tonight, someone’s gonna get shot.'' partner replies, ''yep, I hope its not me.'' We continue to scan the crowd.

11:40pm - Dispatch reports a 911 caller says someone inside of the Eblock movie (guess which film,,,yes the gangster film) is waving a gun inside the theater. Four Off duty cops working Eblock are on scene. Several more on the way.

The crowd flees the theater, and guess what’s next. Yes the animals begin to brawl outside a restraint inside Eblock.

Dozens of officers are on scene, but cannot handle the scene. The fights are inside Eblock, down the escalators, and onto the street. Officers call for City wide response Officers from around the city.

We are trying to gain control, but come on....40 cops vs 1000 young gang bangers. (Oh ya, did I mention that several have guns....)

MTC cops, Hennepin County Sherriffs Deputies, on duty Mpls cops from Dog watch, Midwatch, and twenty or more off duty cops (Uniformed in squads and on foot) and city wide cops are arriving.

Now the real bad news. As officers arrive in front of Eblock, the crowd of thugs run all different directions.

I cant get into why, or how due, to criminal charges going forward, but one of the thugs pulls out a gun and starts shooting at another thug.

Horribly and sadly, an innocent young man from the suburbs is struck fatally by one of the bullets.

Back up five minutes ...I look at my partner as the fight calls come in. I say, ''here comes the shots....'' my partner says ,''no way...too many cops'' We are moving toward the disturbance of the gangsters. 5 seconds after we exchange our comments,.....Boom...boom...boom....boom...

''Shat '' I say, as we pull our guns out running towards the crowd. It's chaos! The cops are running towards the gunfire, and the crowd (innocents and gang bangers ) are coming at us in droves. Cars are peeling out, people running left, right, but mostly at us. Total chaos; worse than the movies or any nightmare. This is very, very real!

Boom....one more shot rings out., this one’s close. I yell to my partner, ''shat I can’t see the shooter'' People are screaming. They’re yelling at us. We’re ordering everyone that looks like a gang banger ''hands up'' as they run by us, so at least we don’t get shot as dozens make their way past us through parked cars.

An officer gets on the radio and says he’s chasing the shooter. We all turn and run. Fast; real fast. Then as quick as the shots call comes out, it’s over. An Off Duty cop does an incredible job. He runs the shooter down after four blocks, arrests him and recovers the gun.

My relief lasts about one second, when it’s cut short by a radio transmission. ''Rescue and ambulance: CODE3, I have a victim down.'' says one of my co-workers. Then a Sergeant is requested. Oh no I think, some one’s hit.

I run back to the scene. What I see as I approach made me sick. I have seen hundreds of murder victims over the years here in Mpls. All kinds, all races, innocents, criminals. This one hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm not going to get into the details of the scene for the victims family and friends sake. I'll just say it was heart wrenching.

The point of this true event is this, what is it going to take for the upper city management to realize that they need to take the leash off the cops for a bit. Quit this awful hatred towards the police. We're not thugs, we have feelings, we're people, people with families . Quit with the suspensions, quit with the b.s. allegations , and oh ya, THE NEWS MEDIA NEEDS TO LEAVE THE MINNEAPOLIS COPS ALONE. Get the leash off us, and let us take this city back!

My real name is not ''BOB'', and don’t give me up please. I would not doubt it if internal affairs would try to get this letter so they can get more cops in trouble.

- Bob

P.S. Behind our homicide/robbery division, Guess what the second largest division in the Minneapolis P.D. is.....Internal Affairs, annnnnnnnnnnnd Boom goes the dynamite.