Update 10/9: The Matts' Missive discussed below, first published in the Red Lake Nation News on October 4, has now seen the light of day as a paid political letter dated October 9 on the Bemidji Pioneer website: Paid political letter: Duran will be a strong voice for Northern Minnesota, law enforcement, and our veterans. end update
Late in September, Bluestem Prairie noted that the Minnesota Star Tribune reported Rep Grossell resigned MNHouse seat last year as ethics of 2A GOP candidate swirl.
Bidal Duran, a retired law enforcement member, is the Republican candidate running to replace Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, who announced his retirement earlier.
There was some confusion about that in Minnesota's leading newspaper. According to the Strib:
The 2A seat was previously held by Rep. Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, who resigned after pleading guilty last year to drunk driving in his fourth and final term.
As I noted in the post, Grossell continues to serve, though he announced his retirement earlier this year.
yes, he's still here--indeed, he's the author of a letter, with his colleague Matt Bliss, R-Pennington, in the Red Lake Nation News, Duran will be a strong voice for Northern Minnesota, law enforcement, and our veterans.
Bluestem is surprised the Republican House caucus trotted out Grossell to defend his honor, given that the 2023 drunk driving conviction was merely the latest offense on the retired law enforcement officer's record, as I noted in Matt Grossell cited for DWI. Apparently diversion program for 2019 disorderly night wore off.
Though to give Grossell credit, his offenses happened after he retired, whereas the ethically questionable behavior by Duran reported in the Strib's State 2A House race pits terminated sheriff deputy against Bemidji homeless shelter director and the Minnesota Reformer's Judge says Minnesota GOP House candidate lied on search warrant as Hubbard County sheriff’s deputy occurred during his tenure in law enforcement.
The later news article noted that that Duran had:
A Republican candidate for a state House seat who is running on his experience in law enforcement was excoriated by a state judge last fall for “intentionally or recklessly mischaracterizing the truth” on a pair of affidavits in a felony drug case. . .
Last fall, Duran was also given a written reprimand for turning off his body camera twice during an interaction with a member of the public, who told investigators Duran threatened them with jail unless they answered his questions. . . .
In Duran will be a strong voice for Northern Minnesota, law enforcement, and our veterans, Bliss and Grossell say of the information--though not mentioning either article or place of publication:
Democrats may be slinging mud and digging through his record trying to smear his service, but we know the truth: Bidal’s experience in both the military, law enforcement, and as a dedicated husband and father demonstrates a lifetime of dedication to serving others.
As I suggested above, perhaps Grossell isn't the best character witness.
I haven't seen the letter published online in any other newspapers or media outlets in the district. Perhaps the letter was sent to the Red Lake Nation News because it published the extended lede of the Strib article as State 2A House race pits sheriff's deputy who was terminated against Bemidji homeless shelter director, as well as the extended lede of the Reformer story, Judge says Minnesota GOP House candidate lied on search warrant as Hubbard County sheriff's deputy.
Why else might the tribal news outlet be selected? Duran has some history with tribal members, the Star Tribune reported:
. . . But Olson and his supporters are concerned with Duran’s time as a Bemidji police officer. Duran fatally shot Vernon May, 34, of Red Lake, during a 2018 traffic stop. Duran was cleared of criminal charges as May was armed, but the killing provoked tensions and protests. . . .
That news is known to the tribal community. In December 2018, it published Man killed by Bemidji police, officers identified, which id'ed tribal member Vernon May as the man killed in a traffic stop,
In January 2019, the tribal media outlet published Body Cam Footage- Bemidji Police Officers Cleared In Shooting Death Of Vernon May, a Lakeland News story:
The Beltrami County Attorney's Office has announced that they have cleared Bemidji Police Officer Bidal Duran and Beltrami County Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Newhouse in the officer-involved shooting death of Vernon Andrew May. The shooting happened on November 28th, 2018.
The incident was investigated by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The BCA submitted its file to the Beltrami County Attorney's office for review of whether the actions of the law enforcement officers involved were justified, and therefore legal, under Minnesota Statute § 609.066.
The evidence gathered by the BCA shows that on November 28, 2018 Officer Duran attempted to arrest Vernon May on an outstanding felony warrant. Vernon May had a gun. A struggle ensued for control of the gun. Vernon May had primary control of the gun and repeatedly stated "shoot me." Ultimately, Officer Duran, in fear of his life, made the decision to fire his gun at Vernon May. Deputy Newhouse assisted Officer Duran during the incident and observed that Vernon May appeared intent on hurting someone, Deputy Newhouse also fired his gun at Vernon May. A total of 10 shots were fired, nine by Officer Duran and one by Deputy Newhouse.
Beltrami County Attorney David Hanson announced today that he has concluded, after a thorough review of the facts surrounding the death and determined Officer Duran and Deputy Newhouse were legally justified when they used deadly force that resulted in Mr. May's death.
Access to the evidence obtained by the BCA during their investigation into this incident, as well as other investigative reports compiled in this case may be accessed by contacting the BCA Public Information Officer Jill Oliveira at 651-793-2726.
A YouTube of the police body cam footage is included in the Red Lake Nation News item:
There's more on the death in the Bemidji Pioneer. It reported on November 30, 2018 in UPDATED: BCA releases names in shooting death; group protests in downtown Bemidji:
By the time officials released the name of Vernon May on Friday, the world already knew he was the man killed during an officer-involved shooting two days before.
And, in that brief time, his name became a rallying cry on the Internet, the focus of local debate about whether law enforcement was justified in his shooting death, and the spark for a protest through downtown on Friday night. . . .
By Friday, a protest had begun forming through social media, ultimately bringing upward of 60 people to the Paul and Babe statues in downtown Bemidji on Friday night. A drum circle filled the winter night with the sound of Native singers. . . .
Before the officers were cleared, the Pioneer reported in January 2019's Beltrami County attorney begins reviewing fatal shooting:
. . .The shooting has caused substantial unrest within the Native American community, which has called for more clarity regarding what happened during the traffic stop. Because of that, Police Chief Mike Mastin issued a statement Dec. 14, indicating that the footage from Duran's body camera eventually would be made public. . . .
Did the county attorney's findings settle matters for Red Lake Tribe's community members? In December 2019, the Pioneer reported in Deadly-force meeting in Bemidji explores Native American treatment in justice system:
One after another, multiple Native American activists stepped forward Tuesday, Dec. 17, to air grievances about the deep distrust they have with law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system overall.
Held on the BSU campus, Tuesday's session was just one of several meetings held statewide by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, focusing on ways to reduce deadly force encounters between law enforcement and local residents. . . .
Police-involved shootings have been a major source of debate in Minnesota and across the country in recent years. Contrary to the perception that it's an urban issue, Ellison said a large number of the deadly force encounters occur in greater Minnesota. One of those happened just over a year ago when a Bemidji Police officer and a Beltrami County Sheriff's deputy shot and killed 34-year-old Vernon May of Red Lake during a traffic stop, which created substantial backlash from the Native community. . . .
Has Duran gained the trust of tribal members? Will the letter have an impact on their votes?
Update October 8: This post has been republished by Red Lake Nation News. [end update]
Photo: A crowd marched along Minnesota Avenue in downtown Bemidji in 2018, protesting the shooting death of Vernon May, 34, by local law enforcement. (Jordan Shearer | Bemidji Pioneer).
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Photo: From the Pioneer Press, Grossell front and center during the Pledge of Allegiance on opening day.
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