St. Paul Mayor Calling For Review Of Skyway Arrest
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman is calling the video of an arrest made back in January concerning. Now he wants a review.
Christopher Lollie shot a video on his cell phone when St. Paul Police arrested him in a skyway in January.
They said he was trespassing and refused to show his I.D. Police used a Taser after they say he pulled away and resisted orders. Lollie said he did nothing wrong.
In response to the video, Coleman said it "led some to question the tactics and reputation of the Saint Paul Police Department."
He added it "raises a great deal of concern, especially given this summer's shooting death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Mo."
"The mayor has asked for an investigation, that is fine with us," St. Paul Police Federation president David Titus said.
What the St. Paul Police Federation is not fine with is linking Lollie's arrest to any other, saying the comparison does not reflect the already solid relationships between police and the city.
"The integrity of these cops is just not in question," Titus said.
"The community is making the comparison so the dialogue is there about it," Lollie's attorney Andrew Irlbeck said.
Irlbeck says he appreciates the mayor ordering a review, but he says his client still plans to file a civil rights lawsuit.
When asked if he thinks the officers should be fired, he had no comment.
"He just wants to have a fair independent review of what happened," he said.