Without the relentless investigative reporting about the Jaleel Stallings case at the Minnesota Reformer by Deena Winter, we'd never have recognized the name of the man in the photo used by the Minnesota Senate Republican in a May 2021 YouTube--and thus not have posted On September 8, Senator Mark Koran wasn't keen on helping Jaleel Stallings, an innocent man.
On Tuesday, Winter reported on our find in While praising accused Jan. 6 rioters, Koran blasts acquitted man:
State Sen. Mark Koran, R-North Branch, recently drew criticism for urging people to donate to a legal defense fund for accused Jan. 6 rioters, calling the Westburys of Lindström “a good family.”
Koran was less generous in a recent appraisal of Jaleel Stallings, a St. Paul man who was recently acquitted of eight charges in connection with his shooting at a Minneapolis SWAT team. The Minneapolis cops were driving around in an unmarked van, shooting rubber bullets at civilians out past curfew without warning, five days after George Floyd’s police killing.
Stallings, an Army veteran with a permit for his pistol, testified that he thought he’d been hit by a real bullet and didn’t know they were cops, and fired back, purposely missing, to try to scare them off.
On Sept. 8, Koran reupped an old May 14 Senate Republican Caucus Facebook post critical of the Freedom Fund — which provides bail money for people accused of crimes — for bailing out “violent criminals” such as Stallings, saying “This radical leftist organization bails out violent criminals and puts them on Minnesota streets.” Koran wrote that the state should stop the “unregulated non-profit, acting as a bail bond company” from bailing out “violent felons.”
The lead example in the post? Stallings, who has been the subject of numerous local and national stories since the Reformer broke the story of his acquittal on Sept. 1. Koran could not be reached for comment.
His post was first reported by BluestemPrairie.com, which wrote, “Perhaps the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus will edit this gem to remove Stallings, a veteran and man who has no criminal record.”
Meanwhile, Koran recently encouraged people to donate to a fundraiser organized by Rosemarie Westbury, whose son Isaac Westbury was charged with using a police shield to assault an officer and carrying a dangerous weapon into the U.S. Capitol. Her husband Robert Westbury is charged with misdemeanors for entering the Capitol and trying to disrupt government business and functions. It appears he has since deleted the Facebook post.
Another family member, Jonah Westbury, was also charged in connection with the storming of the Capitol. Koran’s legislative district includes Lindström.
For more reporting on the Stallings case, check out Winter's reporting at the Minnesota Reformer:
- Jaleel Stallings shot at the MPD; a jury acquitted him of wrongdoing
- More videos released in Jaleel Stallings case
- Bodycam shows Minneapolis officers ‘hunting’ civilians during Floyd protests
If you appreciate the coverage at the Minnesota Reformer, please consider donating.
Screengrab: Mark Koran's September 8 use on Facebook of a May 14 Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus video using Jaleel Stallings as an example of a "violent criminal." Stallings had been acquitted of all charges a week before Koran used the video. From our earlier report.
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