DFL chair says he's 'disappointed' Rep. Thompson accused St. Paul police of racial profiling

[sarisataka]

DFL chair says he's 'disappointed' Rep. Thompson accused St. Paul police of racial profiling

The DFL Party chairman issued a statement Sunday evening in response to the latest controversy surrounding Rep. John Thompson.

Thompson made headlines recently after he accused a St. Paul police officer of racial profiling during a traffic stop. According to a police report, the St. Paul representative was pulled over on July 4 for driving without a front license plate. 

St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell responded to Thompson's acusations, saying the traffic stop had nothing to do with race after watching a video of the encounter. He also asked Thompson for an apology.

In a statement, DFL Chairman Ken Martin said he was "disappointed" in Thompson's claims.

https://kstp.com/politics/dfl-chair-ken-martin-rep-john-thompson-st-paul-police-racial-profiling/6167884/?cat=1

Additionally more questions are being asked about where exactly does Rep. Thompson live and was he qualified to run for office representing District 67A?

[iemanja]

1. Is the sky blue?

Some things are obvious.

[question everything]

2. More background

Rep. John Thompson, DFL-St. Paul, was cited July 4 for driving while under suspension after police say he was pulled over for not having a front license plate. Days later at a rally in St. Paul, Thompson described the encounter as an example of being profiled by police because of his race.

Thompson, who has a Wisconsin driver's license, had his driving privileges revoked in Minnesota in April 2019 in a Ramsey County child-support case. Doug Neville, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, said Thompson was reinstated Wednesday "after taking care of the child-support issue." Neville said Thompson does not hold a Minnesota driver's license and has never had a license issued by the state.

(snip)

Thompson was pulled over at 1:18 a.m. Sunday near Seventh Street E. and Wacouta Street because his vehicle did not have a front license plate, St. Paul police spokesman Steve Linders said. Linders said Thompson identified himself as a state representative and presented a Wisconsin driver's license before the sergeant cited him for driving after suspension of driving privileges. Linders said Thompson accused the sergeant of racially profiling him after receiving the citation. The sergeant reiterated to Thompson that he stopped him because he did not have a front license plate as required by state law, Linders said.

New Minnesota residents must apply for a state license or permit within 60 days of becoming a resident. Thompson previously had told the Pioneer Press that he had lived in St. Paul for 18 years.

https://www.startribune.com/st-paul-police-chief-disputes-dfl-rep-john-thompson-s-racial-profiling-claim/600076586/

In an earlier report on KSTP, the reporter added

Meanwhile, Thompson declined to give St. Paul Police permission to release the body camera video of his traffic stop. That prompted the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association to issue a statement demanding the video's release.

"Rep. Thompson's signature issue at the state legislature was advocating for rapid release of police officer's body camera footage," MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters said. "Now he's blocking the public release of body camera footage of his own incident with law enforcement this past week. As a public official, it's hypocritical and irresponsible. Constituents have the right to see how their legislator conducted himself, particularly when he made such strong claims about what happened during the traffic stop."

https://kstp.com/politics/saint-paul-police-chief-axtell-wants-apology-from-minnesota-state-representative-john-thompson/6166663/

====

If you are a state representative you should have a MN license.

Democrats, too, can be hypocrites.

[ret5hd]

3. Ya know, it's kinda funny...

when the cops think the body/dash cams make ‘em look good, they can’t hardly WAIT to get that footage out their PRONTO!

But if there is a HINT that it might not be so good, suddenly all kinds of investigations and regulations and privacy issues and legal prohibitions are ALL IN THE WAY of such a thing. YEARS may pass before a useless muted and redacted “clip” appears, after lawsuits and promises and mutterings of “due process”.

ACAB
FTP

[question everything]

4. Read it again. It is not the cops refusing the body cam, it is Thompson himself

[ret5hd]

5. I read it correctly...the video backs up the cops narrative...

and they want to release it…correct?

[dflprincess]

6. I was wondering about the license myself

The law says if you are a Minnesota resident (state rep of not), you have a Minnesota license and a front license plate. I have to wonder how he managed to get a Wisconsin license.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for Thompson.

[dflprincess]

7. Updated at the Strib in the last hour

Thompson is now calling for the "swift release" of the footage.

Minnesota Rep. John Thompson, who claimed he was racially profiled during a July 4 traffic stop, said he supports the release of body camera video from the St. Paul police officer who pulled him over.

"It is within the power of the St. Paul Police to release that footage, and I am not a barrier to that," said Thompson, DFL-St. Paul, in a statement released on his legislative website on Monday. He said even though the video will show the officer conducted the traffic stop "by the book," the bigger issue is "we need to rewrite the book."

The state representative was cited for driving under suspension after police say he was pulled over for not having a front license plate. Thompson, who has a Wisconsin driver's license, had his driving privileges revoked in Minnesota in April 2019 in a Ramsey County child-support case. He explained in his statement that he had previously lived in Wisconsin and considered moving back to care for a family member, who will instead move to Minnesota.

Doug Neville, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, said Thompson had his driving privileges reinstated last Wednesday "after taking care of the child-support issue." Neville said Thompson has never had a license issued by the state of Minnesota.

Thompson said he plans to acquire a Minnesota license, "as I should have before."

So, under Minnesota law, he's been driving without a valid license for quite a while.






https://www.startribune.com/rep-john-thompson-calls-for-swift-release-of-body-camera-footage-from-traffic-stop/600077444/