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03-31-09, Blog #1: The revealing of the truth: nearly three years in the making.
The March 30, 2009 Star Tribune article, Suit alleges Minneapolis cops planted gun by man they killed, with the subheading: Fong Lee's family claims police had recovered the same gun in a burglary years before, reveals the truth about the Lee Fong police shooting July 22, 2006, and illustrates a pattern we have seen in other incidents. Here is the column we wrote nearly 3 years ago: Column #16 of August 2, 2006: In the death of Fong Lee, Justice is Demanded.
19 year old Fong Lee was killed by Minneapolis Policeman Jason Andersen, Saturday night, July 22, 2006. We salute the Southeast Asian community leadership for what they are doing to seek justice for Fong Lee's family. They have exercised leadership that is continually missing in action from our Black so-called leadership, not to mention our look-the-other-way City Council. May our Southeast Asian brothers and sisters be a model for our Black leadership and for our City Council.
Fong Lee's family was not notified until 12 hours after he was killed. And then they were told they could not view the body.
The local media besieged the family, writng that Fong Lee was a Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde, a good boy by day and a gang member and gun toting convicted felon at night. Why? The police told them. Not satisfied with killing Fong Lee, the police assassinate his character as well. And their lap dogs in the press cooperated with their dissembled disinformation.
If not for the quick action and compassion and caring of the Southeast Asian community leadership, this family would have been further devastated and isolated by the cold and calculated mission — yes, mission — of coverup and omission.
By Tuesday the Police press had all the ducks put in a row. The Minneapolis police officer shooter was a hero. The state highway patrolman (who didn't fire) was co-hero. Why, if a gun battle followed a foot pursuit, didn't Fong Lee fire a shot? Was it because he didn't actually have a weapon?
The Southeast Asian community went to work, and in a disciplined tenaciousness not seen since the glory days of the Black civil rights movement of 40 years ago, began to dismantle the mission of coverup, deceit, and the hiding of facts and information. First they hired attorneys. It is our understanding that they will retain the services of an independent pathologist to take a look at the physical abuse perpetrated upon young Mr. Lee. It could well be that that an independent medical examination will reveal horrifying facts surrounding the death that was possibly the execution of Fong Lee. Why, in an information age, they attempt such cover-ups, mystifies us. The truth will out.
Thursday's July 27 Star Tribune had to back track about the earlier reporting of Officer Andersen's exemplary record of commendations. Indeed, we are told that at a December 2005 gathering of officers, Officer Andersen spoke with disdain and animus against Asians, Somalis and American Blacks as he used the "N" word as he told tales of being on patrol in the 4 th precinct of North Minneapolis. Finally, some of his own White colleagues asked him to tone it down. Present but ignored was a person of color, a police civilian employee, who was simultaneously offended and terrified by the terroristic threats and terroristic statements made about Asians, Somalis and African Americans.
A supervisor was assigned to the 4 th Precinct to conduct and complete an investigation. The investigator's report allegedly recommended the immediate termination of Office Andersen. That recommendation was overturned by the Deputy Chief of the department. Instead, Officer Andersen was told to write an essay about the use of racially motivated and inflammatory language. And then it was back to business as ususal.
When rumors of a coverup surfaced, it appears that friends of Officer Andersen began to seek the "tattletale." Their attention focused on a young, female, African American officer who has been threatened with possible bodily harm, and who was told to watch her back or she may take one to the head.
This rookie officer has become so distraught by the hostility shown her that she is contemplating resigning from the department. It has already been determined by some with significant knowledge of the internal workings of the MPD, that this officer's life is now in danger.
We see a department out of control, prone to violence, having an animus against people of color, shooting and executing a 19 year old Asian man, beating and assaulting Black funeral goers, as occurred in late June of this year, following the shooting of Tamika Bond, an African American mother of four, whose murder is still unsolved. In fact, there appears to be no attempt to solve it. It is no surprise, then, that a coverup surrounds the events and tragic death of Fong Lee.
DemoROBcans. Does any party control a city as totally as the DFL does Minneapolis? When the robber barons did their thing in the 19th century, they at least gave tangible benefits: canals, railroads, highways, factories, skyscrapers, etc., all of which created lots of jobs. Today, the robber barons of politics, Democrats and Republicans alike, leave no tangible benefits for the inner city, only the tangible reality of robbing poor Blacks students of an education, robbing them of jobs by refusing to follow job compliance rules, and robbing poor Blacks of housing and giving it to upscale Whites. In future columns we will cover how the DFL lives in an echo chambers, swimming against the 21st century tide, isolated from the realty of today, and robbing us The Dream, thus keeping it unfinished.
Posted in this Blog, March 31, 2009, 3:30 am.
Originaly Posted 8-2-06, 5:40 a.m.
Ron hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm. Formerly head of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League, he continues his “watchdog” role for Minneapolis. Order his book, hear his voice, read his solution papers, and read his between columns “web log” at www.TheMinneapolisStory.com.
Permission is granted to reproduce The Minneapolis Story columns, blog entires and solution papers. Please cite the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and www.TheMinneapolisStory.com for the columns. Please cite www.TheMinneapolisStory.com for blog entries and solution papers.
