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Medaria Arradondo

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Medaria Arradondo
53rd Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department
In office
July 21, 2017 – January 15, 2022
Appointed byBetsy Hodges
Preceded byJaneé Harteau
Succeeded byBrian O'Hara
Personal details
Born1967 (age 56–57)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Children2

Medaria Arradondo is an American law enforcement official who served as the Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department from 2017 to 2022. He was the first black chief of the Minneapolis Police Department.[1]

Career

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A fifth-generation Minnesota resident of Colombian heritage, Arradondo joined the MPD in 1989 as a patrol officer in the Fourth Precinct and worked his way up through the police ranks until he was named the inspector for the First Precinct.[1] In 2007, he and four other African-American officers sued the department alleging discrimination in promotions, pay, and discipline.[2][3] The lawsuit was settled by the city for $740,000, and in December 2012 Arradondo was promoted to head of the Internal Affairs Unit responsible for investigation of allegations of officer misconduct.[4]

Arradondo was a Deputy Chief and Assistant Chief before being nominated as Minneapolis's new Chief of Police by Mayor Betsy Hodges after the resignation of former police chief Janeé Harteau in mid-2017, shortly after the shooting of Justine Damond by former Minneapolis police officer Mohammed Noor.[5][6]

During Super Bowl LII, Arradondo authorized banning Philadelphia-style tailgating.[7]

As police chief, Arradondo stopped the practice of low-level marijuana stings due to complaints about racial disparities,[8][9] and codified the relationship between police and emergency medical service providers (EMT).[10]

Arradondo was chief of police during the high-profile murder of George Floyd and subsequent widespread protests and destruction.[11][12] He fired all four officers involved, which was a historic decision, and later directly addressed the family of George Floyd, stating that his position that all four officers involved were at fault and he was awaiting charges from the county attorney and/or FBI.[13] On June 10, 2020, Arradondo announced both the cancellation of future contract negotiations with the police union and plans to bring in outside experts to examine how the contract with the Police Officers Federation can be restructured to create a warning system which will provide transparency about "troubled" officers and “flexibility for true reform.”[14][15] On June 16, 2020, Arradondo dismissed the significance of recent reports of 19 departures from the Minneapolis Police Department within a year, stating that the Minneapolis Police Department experiences an average of 40 departures per year.[16]

During a 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl which aired on June 21, 2020, Arradondo stated that there was distrust of law enforcement in Minneapolis's black community and that "we need good policing. We know it's broken. We need to make changes."[17] During the interview, Arradondo did not back demands for dismantling and defunding the Minneapolis Police Department, suggesting instead the enforcement of recent bans on physical restraints such as chokeholds and neck restraints, eliminating barriers that protect Minneapolis police officers from misconduct charges, and changes to police union contracts which allow officers who are fired or disciplined to get arbitration.[17]

He opposed a 2021 ballot measure to abolish the Minneapolis police department, which voters ultimately rejected with 56% against.

In December 2021, Arradondo announced his retirement effective January 15, 2022.[18]

Dates of rank

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  • Police Officer - 1989
  • Sergeant - 1999
  • Lieutenant - 2005
  • Commander - 2011
  • Inspector - 2013
  • Deputy Chief - 2015
  • Chief of Police - 2017

Personal life

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Arradondo is one of nine siblings. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis[19] and Finlandia University (then called Suomi College) in Hancock, Michigan.[20] Arradondo is the first black person to serve as chief of the Minneapolis Police Department.[1][21][22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Madhani, Aamer (July 23, 2017). "Minneapolis mayor looks to new police chief amid firestorm over fatal shooting". USA Today. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  2. ^ Williams, Brandt, "Minneapolis cops file discrimination lawsuit", Minnesota Public Radio News, December 7, 2007.
  3. ^ Alonso, Melissa, "Minneapolis' top cop sued the department in 2007. Here's why it matters today", CNN, June 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Williams, Brandt, "Mpls cop who once sued department now heads Internal Affairs Unit", Minnesota Public Radio News, February 13, 2013.
  5. ^ Berman, Mark; Marwa Eltagouri (March 20, 2018). "Officer charged with murder in shooting death of unarmed woman in Minneapolis alley". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  6. ^ "The Latest: Mayor Nominates Arradondo as Minneapolis Chief". US News. July 21, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  7. ^ Rosenberg, Amy S. (January 31, 2018). "Super Bowl security to outlaw Philadelphia-style tailgating in Minneapolis". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Minneapolis. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  8. ^ "Minneapolis ends pot stings criticized as targeting blacks". NY Daily News. AP. June 7, 2018. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  9. ^ "Citing racial disparities, Minneapolis police will stop low-level marijuana stings". Washington Post. June 8, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  10. ^ "Report: Minneapolis Cops Urged EMS to Sedate Subjects". US News. June 14, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  11. ^ Crowley, James (May 30, 2020). "Minneapolis mayor denies claim that he allowed unrest to overrun neighborhood, defends police chief". Newsweek. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  12. ^ Siemaszko, Corky (May 29, 2020). "George Floyd death tests Minneapolis police chief". NBC News. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  13. ^ Boggs, Justin, "Minneapolis police chief on George Floyd's death: Not intervening to me you're complicit", The Denver Channel, May 31, 2020.
  14. ^ "Minneapolis police chief announces new reforms, withdrawal from union contract negotiations". Fox 10 Phoenix. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  15. ^ "Chief Arradondo Announces Immediate Withdrawal From Contract Negotiations With Police Union". WCCO. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  16. ^ "Chief: Minneapolis police resignations not a threat to public safety". Fox9. June 16, 2020.
  17. ^ a b Stahl, Lesley (June 21, 2020). "Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo on George Floyd's killing, policies during protests and reform for his department". 60 Minutes.
  18. ^ Vera, Amir; Hassan, Carma; Watson, Michelle (December 6, 2021). "Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, whose tenure included George Floyd's murder, will retire in January". CNN. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  19. ^ Wood, Drew (April 28, 2020), "Q&A: Minneapolis Chief of Police Medaria Arradondo", Mpls St Paul, retrieved April 19, 2021
  20. ^ "Day 6 Of Witness Testimony In Ex-Cop's Murder Trial; Defense Cross-Examine ER Doctor Who Tried To Save George Floyd". CNN Transcripts. April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  21. ^ "Minneapolis taps first black police chief in wake of Damond shooting". NBC News. Minneapolis. AP. August 21, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  22. ^ Shammas, Brittany; Bella, Timothy; Mettler, Katie; Bennett, Dalton (May 26, 2020). "George Floyd death: Four Minneapolis officers fired after video". Washington Post. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
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