Thursday, April 22, 2010

Former Mpls. Officer Accused Of Theft (WCCO)

Former Mpls. Officer Accused Of Theft:
A former Minneapolis police lieutenant [Marie Fierck Przynski] is facing charges of theft by swindle, for an alleged incident where she took money from a large international organization of female law enforcement officials.... [Officer Hilary] Glasrud told police while Przynski was away on her 10-day cruise she checked the committee's checkbook and noticed a $1,500 withdrawal. Glasrud alerted the precinct commander.... Przynski was a veteran police officer, who left the department earlier this year -- about a month after the theft was reported.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Off-duty Minneapolis cop charged with beating bar patron (Star Tribune)

Off-duty Minneapolis cop charged with beating bar patron:
A Minneapolis police officer is accused of ambushing a man outside a Fridley bar while off duty and beating him unconscious. Anoka County authorities filed a felony third-degree assault charge Monday against Thomas Bernardson Jr., 27, of Fridley, saying he attacked Nickolas Wraspir, 29, outside Shortstop Bar on Jan. 17.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Ex-Mpls cop pleads not guilty in bank robbery (KARE)

Ex-Mpls cop pleads not guilty in bank robbery:
A former Minneapolis SWAT team member has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from an armed bank robbery in the suburb of Apple Valley... He's also been charged in 10 other armed robberies and two other robbery attempts in Hennepin and Dakota counties...

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Mpls. council settles suit against cop for $125K (Pioneer Press)

Mpls. council settles suit against cop for $125K:
The Minneapolis City Council has agreed to pay about $125,000 to settle allegations that a police officer used excessive force. Officer Sherry Appledorn was accused of using a stun gun, kicking and hitting a suspect after he surrendered. A lawyer for the suspect said the officer's account of the incident didn't match a recording made by a police camera. The city council agreed unanimously Friday to pay $75,000 plus an estimated $50,000 in attorney's fees. Appledorn is still on the police force after serving a 20-hour suspension and receiving a letter of reprimand...

Mpls. settles police brutality case involving car break-ins suspect (KARE)

Mpls. settles police brutality case involving car break-ins suspect:
The city of Minneapolis will pay $125,000 to settle a police brutality case involving a man arrested for breaking into cars at a downtown parking ramp. Nicholas Kastner of Roseville will get $75,000. The rest of the money will go towars attorney's fees... Kastner's attorney said in ramp surveillance video, his client could be seen getting out of the passenger side door without any resistance. The video shows Officer Sherry Appledorn repeatedly striking Kastner. His lawyer also says Appledorn shocked Kastner twice with her Taser. The Minneapolis city council unanimously approved the settlement Friday afternoon in a closed session...

Mpls. council settles suit against cop for $125K (KSTP)

Mpls. council settles suit against cop for $125K:
The Minneapolis City Council has agreed to pay about $125,000 to settle allegations that a police officer used excessive force. Officer Sherry Appledorn was accused of using a stun gun, kicking and hitting a suspect after he surrendered...

Friday, February 12, 2010

Minneapolis settles cop brutality case (Star Tribune)

Minneapolis settles cop brutality case:

A man who was caught breaking into cars in a downtown Minneapolis parking ramp will be paid $75,000 by the city after videos showed a police office kicking him repeatedly and tasing him as he lay on the pavement. The City Council on Friday approved that settlement of the man's federal lawsuit, plus attorney fees that his lawyer, Frederick Goetz, estimates at about $50,000... According to Kastner's lawsuit, officer Sherry Appledorn "stomped on his back, kicked him at least a dozen times and shocked him at least twice with her Taser." Goetz said that Appledorn's partner, Joseph Will, also punched Kastner's head. The incident was captured by ramp cameras and cameras in the squad car and Taser...

Mpls settles another police misconduct suit (MPR)

Mpls settles another police misconduct suit:
The Minneapolis City Council Friday approved another six-figure payout to settle a police misconduct lawsuit. The settlement calls for a payment of $75,000 plus attorney fees, which are expected to cost another $50,000...The suit was brought by Nicholas Kastner after an incident in 2008, when officers Sherry Appeldorn and Joseph Will stomped, tasered and punched Kastner while he was lying still on his stomach...

Mpls. City Council pays for officer's lawsuit (KSTP)

Mpls. City Council pays for officer's lawsuit:
Minneapolis City Council agreed, Friday, to pay to settle a police officer's excessive force lawsuit. Police officer, Sherry Appledorn, allegedly kicked, tased and hit Nicolas Kastner after he surrendered. The incident was recorded by a police camera. Kastner's lawyer said Appledorn's account of the incident did not match the video tape...

Man Beaten By Mpls. Police Will Get More Than $75K (WCCO)

Man Beaten By Mpls. Police Will Get More Than $75K:
A man who was beaten by a Minneapolis Police Officer will be getting a settlement. In Dec. 2008, Nicholas Kastner and another man were caught breaking into cars in a downtown parking ramp. The other man was driving as they left the ramp, but Kastner was riding along as the car they were in rammed Officer Sherry Appledorn's squad car. On surveillance video, Kastner can be seen lying facedown on the ground next to the car. The man who had been driving ran off. The crux of the case was that Kastner didn't resist, but Appledorn stomped on his back, kicked him and shocked him at least twice with her Taser, according to the federal lawsuit....

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Ex-Mpls Cop Pleads Not Guilty In Bank Robbery (WCCO)

Ex-Mpls Cop Pleads Not Guilty In Bank Robbery:
A former Minneapolis SWAT team member has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from an armed bank robbery in the suburb of Apple Valley. Twenty-eight-year-old Timothy Edward Carson of Rosemount entered his plea Thursday during an arraignment in U.S. District Court in St. Paul. He's charged with one count of armed bank robbery and one firearms count in the Jan. 6 robbery of a Wells Fargo bank... He's also been charged in 10 other armed robberies and two other robbery attempts in Hennepin and Dakota counties...

Ex-cop pleads not guilty in Apple Valley bank robbery (Pioneer Press)

Ex-cop pleads not guilty in Apple Valley bank robbery:

The former Minneapolis police officer indicted in the robbery of an Apple Valley bank entered a plea of not guilty Thursday in federal court in St. Paul... The former Minneapolis SWAT team member and Iraq war veteran also was charged in Hennepin County District Court with five counts of first-degree aggravated robbery in holdups at a coffee shop, bank, dry-cleaning business and convenience store and the holdup of a woman at a bus stop...

Timothy Carson, ex Minneapolis cop, admits to more robberies (City Pages)

Timothy Carson, ex Minneapolis cop, admits to more robberies:
... the charges against [Minneapolis swat cop Timothy] Carson have piled up, the man's story looks increasingly complicated and dark: The Rosemount man is now charged with seven new crimes, for a total of 13...

Timothy Carson, ex cop, pleads not guilty in Apple Valley bank robbery (City Pages)

Timothy Carson, ex cop, pleads not guilty in Apple Valley bank robbery:
Timothy Carson, the former Minneapolis cop in a heap of trouble over a series of robberies and attempted robberies, pleaded not guilty today to armed bank robbery charges in U.S. District Court in St. Paul. Prosecutors say he robbed a Wells Fargo bank in Apple Valley on Jan. 6., and was later arrested at MPD's 3rd precinct house...

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Ex-Mpls cop faces more robbery charges (MPR)

Ex-Mpls cop faces more robbery charges:
A former Minneapolis SWAT team member already indicted in the takeover-style armed robbery of a suburban bank is facing more charges in Dakota County. Dakota County prosecutors are charging 28-year-old Timothy Edward Carson of Rosemount in a string of robberies in the Apple Valley, Eagan and Rosemount areas from Dec. 16 through Jan. 5. Hennepin County prosecutors have already charged him in five robberies...

Ex-Mpls cop faces more robbery charges (KSTP)

Ex-Mpls cop faces more robbery charges:
A former Minneapolis SWAT team member and decorated Marine already indicted in the armed robbery of a suburban bank was charged Wednesday in seven new incidents, bringing the number of crimes he is accused of to 13...

Ex-Mpls. Cop Faces More Robbery Charges (WCCO)

Ex-Mpls. Cop Faces More Robbery Charges:
A former Minneapolis SWAT team member and decorated Marine already indicted in the armed robbery of a suburban bank was charged Wednesday in seven new incidents, bringing the number of crimes he is accused of to 13. The complaint said Timothy Edward Carson admitted to the seven new charges -- five armed robberies and two attempted robberies -- and admitted he had a gun each time...

Former Minneapolis cop charged in armed robberies in Dakota County (Pioneer Press)

Former Minneapolis cop charged in armed robberies in Dakota County:

Former Minneapolis SWAT team member Timothy Carson faces a new series of armed robbery charges — seven in all — related to holdups across suburban Dakota County. Charges filed Wednesday by the Dakota County attorney's office link him to the holdup of a man in a car in Eagan as well as robberies or attempted robberies at a Marathon gas station in Rosemount and a CVS pharmacy, a Quick Stop convenience store, a Walgreens and a U.S. Bank in Apple Valley...

Ex Mpls. cop charged with seven more armed robberies (Pioneer Press)

Ex Mpls. cop charged with seven more armed robberies:

Former Minneapolis SWAT team member Timothy Carson faces a new series of armed robbery charges — seven in all — related to hold-ups across suburban Dakota County. Charges filed by the Dakota County Attorney's office today link him to the hold-up of a man in a car in Eagan, as well as robberies or attempted robberies at a Marathon gas station in Rosemount, a CVS pharmacy, a Quik Stop convenience store, a Walgreens and a U.S. Bank in Apple Valley...

Ex-Minneapolis cop, already indicted on federal bank robbery charge, faces more counts (Star Tribune)

Ex-Minneapolis cop, already indicted on federal bank robbery charge, faces more counts:
A former police officer and decorated Marine already indicted in the armed robbery of a suburban Minneapolis bank has been charged in five new armed robberies and two attempted robberies. The complaint Wednesday says 28-year-old Timothy Edward Carson admits to the seven new crimes...

Ex-Mpls. cop charged in Dakota County robberies (Star Tribune)

Ex-Mpls. cop charged in Dakota County robberies:
A former Minneapolis police officer was charged Wednesday with five counts of first-degree aggravated robbery and two counts of first-degree attempted aggravated robbery in connection with a string of crimes in Apple Valley, Eagan and Rosemount from mid-December to early January. The charges in Dakota County against Timothy E. Carson, 28, of Apple Valley, follow his indictment last week in federal court on charges of armed bank robbery and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence...

Ex-Minneapolis cop faces more robbery charges (KARE)

Ex-Minneapolis cop faces more robbery charges:
A former Minneapolis SWAT team member and decorated Marine already indicted in the armed robbery of a suburban bank was charged Wednesday in seven new incidents, bringing the number of crimes he is accused of to 13. The complaint said Timothy Edward Carson admitted to the seven new charges -- five armed robberies and two attempted robberies -- and admitted he had a gun each time...

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Todd Lappegaard, ex-cop who Tasered Rolando Ruiz, wants his job back (City Pages)

Todd Lappegaard, ex-cop who Tasered Rolando Ruiz, wants his job back:
The video released in November is pretty shocking. Rolando Ruiz can be seen standing still, with hands on the hood of a Minneapolis Police Department cruiser, when Todd Lappegaard stands behind him and Tasers him in the neck. In a flash, Ruiz can be seen falling to the ground...

Monday, February 8, 2010

Mpls. cop fired over Taser arrest wants his job back (Star Tribune)

Mpls. cop fired over Taser arrest wants his job back:

A Minneapolis police officer fired after a video showed him using a Taser to subdue a suspect wants his job back. The video showing officer Todd Lappegaard Tasering a man in the neck during an arrest in April made for disturbing television when it was released in November after the suspect sued Lappegaard and the Minneapolis Police Department. It shows the man standing in front of Lappegaard's police cruiser with his hands on the hood; a moment later, the man is falling to the ground, screaming, as Lappegaard jolts him with 50,000 volts of electricity...

Friday, February 5, 2010

Fired Cop Who Tasered Man Tells His Side (WCCO)

Fired Cop Who Tasered Man Tells His Side:
A Minneapolis police officer who was fired after dash-cam video showed him using a Taser on a teenager is telling his side of the story for the first time. Former Police Officer Todd Lappegaard told WCCO he feels he was "railroaded" by the police department because of the media coverage. He also said the video did not tell the entire story behind his confrontation with Roland Ruiz last November...

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Minneapolis police officer indicted in bank robbery (KARE)

Minneapolis police officer indicted in bank robbery:
A federal grand jury has indicted a former Minneapolis police SWAT team member in the robbery of an Apple Valley bank... Authorities say Carson also has confessed to several other armed robberies in the Twin Cities area.
(Story can also be found here.)

Former Minneapolis cop Timothy Carson indicted in bank heist (City Pages)

Former Minneapolis cop Timothy Carson indicted in bank heist:
More bad news for Timothy Carson, the ex-Minnespolis cop who police say went on an armed robbery spree last month in Minneapolis and Apple Valley: A federal grand jury has indicted the 28-year-old with one count of armed bank robbery and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence...

Man beaten by Mpls. cops in '09 after stop files federal suit (Star Tribune)

Man beaten by Mpls. cops in '09 after stop files federal suit:

A man whose recorded beating changed how Minneapolis police handle use-of-force incidents has filed a federal excessive force lawsuit after negotiations with the city failed to yield a settlement of his claims. Derryl Jenkins filed the suit Monday based on an incident last February when police stopped him for allegedly speeding...

According to the lawsuit: When stopped, Jenkins was confused about what he allegedly did wrong, asked to speak to a supervisor, and got out of his vehicle. Officer Richard Walker wrestled him to the ground and called for backup. At least six officers punched and kicked Jenkins as he lay face down in a snowbank, and one officer stunned him three times with a Taser.Jenkins went to the hospital with facial injuries. He was charged with felony assault and refusing a blood-alcohol test, but a prosecutor and judge eventually dropped the charges. A few minutes after the incident, officer Scott Dahlquist sent a text describing it as "A GOOD FIGHT." ...

Attached to the suit are Lt. Mike Sauro's "use of force" comments. Sauro calls it a "myth" that "blows to the head are deadly force." ...

Jenkins sues Minneapolis police for beating caught on tape (City Pages)

Jenkins sues Minneapolis police for beating caught on tape:
Derryl Jenkins, the Brooklyn Center man who was stomped by Minneapolis police officers a year ago, is suing the city of Minneapolis and several officers for violating his civil rights and using excessive force. Video footage of the incident and photos of the aftermath surfaced last summer, drawing scrutiny to the Minneapolis police department. The video begins with officer Richard Walker pulling over Jenkins. After some apparent confusion, a struggle ensues and Walker pulls Jenkins' jacket over his head. Several other officers soon arrive and join in...

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Former Mpls cop indicted in bank robbery (KSTP)

Former Mpls cop indicted in bank robbery:
A federal grand jury has indicted a former Minneapolis police SWAT team member in the robbery of an Apple Valley Wells Fargo bank...

Former Minneapolis cop indicted in bank robbery (MPR)

Former Minneapolis cop indicted in bank robbery:
A federal grand jury has indicted a former Minneapolis police SWAT team member in the robbery of an Apple Valley bank... Authorities say Carson also has confessed to several other bank robberies in the Twin Cities area.

Former Minneapolis Cop Indicted In Bank Robbery (WCCO)

Former Minneapolis Cop Indicted In Bank Robbery:
A federal grand jury has indicted a former Minneapolis police SWAT team member in the robbery of an Apple Valley bank... Carson is now charged with one count of armed bank robbery and one firearms count... Authorities say Carson also has confessed to several other armed robberies in the Twin Cities area.

Former Minneapolis cop indicted in Apple Valley bank robbery (Pioneer Press)

Former Minneapolis cop indicted in Apple Valley bank robbery:

A federal grand jury has indicted a former Minneapolis police SWAT team member in the robbery of an Apple Valley bank... Carson is now charged with one count of armed bank robbery and one firearms count. He faces a maximum potential penalty of 25 years in prison on the bank robbery charge and a mandatory minimum of seven years on the firearms charge...

Former Minneapolis cop indicted in Apple Valley bank robbery (Pioneer Press)

Former Minneapolis cop indicted in Apple Valley bank robbery:

Dressed in a ski mask and dark jacket, Minneapolis police officer Timothy Edward Carson brandished a .40-caliber semiautomatic Beretta handgun when he held up a Wells Fargo bank in Apple Valley on Jan. 6, according to federal charges. The charges state Carson made out with $4,580 from the three frightened bank tellers and then drove off — into the sunset of his career as a cop...

Ex-Minneapolis cop indicted in bank robbery (Star Tribune)

Ex-Minneapolis cop indicted in bank robbery:

A former Minneapolis police officer accused of several robberies has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the robbery last month of an Apple Valley bank. Timothy Edward Carson, 28, of Rosemount, was charged with one count of armed bank robbery and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to the indictment filed Wednesday...

Man in videotaped beating sues Minneapolis police (MPR)

Man in videotaped beating sues Minneapolis police:
A Brooklyn Center man who was punched and kicked by Minneapolis police officers in an incident caught on tape has filed a federal lawsuit. Attorneys for 43-year-old Derryl Jenkins sued the officers and the city of Minneapolis on Monday, alleging the officers used excessive force and violated Jenkins' civil rights. Jenkins was stopped by police last February. A seven-minute video recorded by cameras in squad cars shows there was a struggle and one officer pulled Jenkins' hooded jacket over his head and threw him on the ground. Other officers arrived and punched and kicked him. A Taser was also used. Jenkins was charged with assault and refusing to submit to alcohol tests. But the charges were dropped...

Man in videotaped beating sues Minneapolis police (KSTP)

Man in videotaped beating sues Minneapolis police:
A Brooklyn Center man who was punched and kicked by Minneapolis police officers in an incident caught on tape has filed a federal lawsuit... Jenkins was stopped by police last February. A seven-minute video recorded by cameras in squad cars shows there was a struggle and one officer pulled Jenkins' hooded jacket over his head and threw him on the ground. Other officers arrived and punched and kicked him. A Taser was also used. Jenkins was charged with assault and refusing to submit to alcohol tests. But the charges were dropped...

Minneapolis police sued by man who was beaten during arrest (Pioneer Press)

Minneapolis police sued by man who was beaten during arrest:
A Brooklyn Center man who was punched and kicked by Minneapolis police officers in an incident caught on tape has filed a federal lawsuit... Police stopped Jenkins in February 2009. A seven-minute video recorded by cameras in squad cars shows that there was a struggle and that one officer pulled Jenkins' hooded jacket over his head and threw him on the ground. Other officers arrived and punched and kicked him. A Taser was also used...

Man In Videotaped Beating Suing Minneapolis Police (WCCO)

Man In Videotaped Beating Suing Minneapolis Police:
A Brooklyn Center man who was punched and kicked by Minneapolis police officers in an incident caught on tape has filed a federal lawsuit... [43-year-old Derryl] Jenkins was stopped by police last February. A seven-minute video recorded by cameras in squad cars shows there was a struggle and one officer pulled Jenkins' hooded jacket over his head and threw him on the ground. Other officers arrived and punched and kicked him. A Taser was also used.. Jenkins was charged with assault and refusing to submit to alcohol tests. But the charges were dropped...

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Mpls. settles police brutality lawsuit (KSTP)

Mpls. settles police brutality lawsuit:
The City of Minneapolis reached a settlement with a man who was seen on surveillance video being kicked by a police officer and zapped with a Taser. The city agreed to pay Nicholas Kastner to drop his lawsuit, according to the minutes of a settlement conference held Tuesday in federal court. Specific details were not released...

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Minneapolis police officer fired after Tasering cooperative suspect (Star Tribune)

Minneapolis police officer fired after Tasering cooperative suspect:

A Minneapolis police officer accused of Tasering a compliant suspect to the ground has been fired from the force, a source close to the department said. Todd Lappegaard, who faces a federal lawsuit over the April 30, 2009, incident, sent an e-mail to many in the police department in the past several days in which he said he had been let go... The lawsuit stems from an arrest that took place shortly before midnight in which Rolando Ruiz, 18, was suspected of damaging a police cruiser parked at the Second Precinct on Central Avenue. The arrest, recorded by a video camera on Lappegaard's cruiser, began with Ruiz standing in front of Lappegaard's car with his hands on the hood. Lappegaard then places a Taser on Ruiz's neck and stuns him. "As plaintiff Ruiz slumped to the ground, Lappegaard held his knee on the plaintiff's back to prevent him from avoiding the electrical shock of the Taser device," the lawsuit reads. "Lappegaard held his free hand on the squad car hood to brace himself as he pinned Ruiz to the ground and continued shocking him." Along with the civil rights violations, the suit lists nine causes of action. Among them it cites a 2002 incident in which Lappegaard was driving a squad car that made contact with a sport utility vehicle driven by a woman fleeing police. She later drove the SUV off the street, hitting and killing a Richfield man who was jogging...

Cop Involved In Taser Incident No Longer With MPD (WCCO)

Cop Involved In Taser Incident No Longer With MPD:
A Minneapolis Police officer who was caught on camera using a Taser on a man who said he had already surrendered is no longer with the force. Sources confirmed to WCCO that Todd Lappegaard, who had already been involved and reprimanded once before for using deadly force before, was no longer working for the Minneapolis Police Department.

On April 30, 2009, Rolando Ruiz was arrested near the Minneapolis 2nd Precinct near Central Avenue... Video from Lappegaard's dashboard camera caught the scene. The video didn't show what happened before Ruiz was told to put his hands on the hood, but it did show Lappegaard use a Taser on the back of Ruiz's neck. Ruiz said he had already surrendered when Lappegaard used the Taser on him. He is suing the City of Minneapolis and Lappegaard for the sum of $400,000.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Former Minneapolis cop Carson charged in five more robberies (City Pages)

Former Minneapolis cop Carson charged in five more robberies:
The charges are piling up for Timothy Carson, a former Marine and Minneapolis police officer already suspected in an Apple Valley Bank robbery. On Tuesday he was charged in Hennepin County with five counts of aggravated robbery. Here are the places and people police say he robbed...

Former Minneapolis police officer charged in 5 robberies (KARE)

Former Minneapolis police officer charged in 5 robberies:
The former Minneapolis police officer suspected in an Apple Valley bank robbery and other heists in the metro has been charged with five armed robberies in south Minneapolis. The criminal complaint says Timothy Carson robbed the Hiawatha Cleaners at 5400 34th Avenue South on December 15th, 2009. It also accuses him of robbing a woman at a bus stop on 28th Avenue South on December 31st, 2009... Carson is accused of robbing two separate SuperAmerica convenience stores on January 3rd, 2010...

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Mpls. Ex-Cop Charged With 5 More Robberies (WCCO)

Mpls. Ex-Cop Charged With 5 More Robberies:
A former Minneapolis police officer accused of robbing a bank has now been charged with five other holdups.,, According to the complaint, Carson held up a drycleaners in South Minneapolis... The complaint also states that Carson entered Sovereign Grounds coffee shop in Minneapolis and fled with $65 of stolen money. He is also charged with robbing two Super America stores in the area and a woman at a bus stop...

Former Minneapolis police officer charged in 5 robberies (Star Tribune)

Former Minneapolis police officer charged in 5 robberies:

The former Minneapolis police officer suspected in an Apple Valley bank robbery and other holdups in Dakota County has been charged in Hennepin County with five robberies in south Minneapolis. The criminal complaint against Timothy Edward Carson, 28, describes a spate of armed holdups of a woman at a bus stop as well as a dry cleaners, two SuperAmerica stores and a coffee shop...

Monday, January 18, 2010

Accused bank robber is no longer MPD officer (KARE)

Accused bank robber is no longer MPD officer:
A Minneapolis SWAT team member charged in the takeover-style robbery of a suburban bank is no longer a member of the Minneapolis police force. Twenty-eight-year-old Timothy Carson of Rosemount is charged in federal court with one count of bank robbery for allegedly holding up a Wells Fargo in Apple Valley. He is under investigation in at least 10 other robberies in the area...
(Another copy of the story can be found here.)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Accused Bank Robber is No Longer MPD Officer (KSTP)

Accused Bank Robber is No Longer MPD Officer:
A Minneapolis SWAT team member charged in the takeover-style robbery of a suburban bank is no longer a member of the Minneapolis police force...

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Accused bank robber is off Mpls. police force (Star Tribune)

Accused bank robber is off Mpls. police force:
Timothy Carson, accused of robbing an Apple Valley bank and possibly connected to a dozen robberies in the metro area, is no longer a Minneapolis police officer...

Former Minneapolis cop charged in 5 holdups (KARE)

Former Minneapolis cop charged in 5 holdups:
The former Minneapolis police officer suspected in an Apple Valley bank robbery and other heists in the metro has been charged with five armed robberies in south Minneapolis. The criminal complaint says Timothy Carson robbed the Hiawatha Cleaners at 5400 34th Avenue South on December 15th, 2009. It also accuses him of robbing a woman at a bus stop on 28th Avenue South on December 31st, 2009... Carson is accused of robbing two separate SuperAmerica convenience stores on January 3rd, 2010. One store was at 4320 E. Lake St. and the other store was on 6000 Portland Av. South. On January 4th, 2010, Carson is suspected of robbing the Sovereign Grounds coffee shop at 813 E. 48th Street.

Mpls. police officer admits to being a serial bank robber (KARE)

Mpls. police officer admits to being a serial bank robber:
A Minneapolis police SWAT team member was charged Thursday in the takeover-style robbery of a suburban bank, and authorities said he confessed to several other armed robberies in the Twin Cities area. Timothy Edward Carson, 28, of Rosemount, was ordered held without bail during a brief federal court hearing... An affidavit from an FBI agent said Carson admitted robbing the bank, and "admitted having committed numerous other armed robberies" in Dakota and Hennepin counties. It didn't say whether he told investigators why...

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Cop Used Police Dept. Gun In Robbery (WCCO)

Cop Used Police Dept. Gun In Robbery:
The gun that was used in an Apple Valley bank robbery, where the accused robber is a Minneapolis police officer, last belonged to the Minneapolis Police Department. Timothy Carson borrowed the gun from the department after his personal gun was stolen from his car in Apple Valley in 2008. The borrowed gun was not returned to Minneapolis Police until after Carson was arrested...

Monday, January 11, 2010

More Charges Expected For Robber Cop (WCCO)

More Charges Expected For Robber Cop:
More charges are expected against a Minneapolis police officer charged with robbing an Apple Valley bank on his way to work last Wednesday. Minneapolis investigators tried to talk with Tim Carson about the five robberies he admitted doing after he was arrested last week. He told investigators that he needed the money...

Saturday, January 9, 2010

More questions than answers for Mpls. police officer turned bank robber (KARE)

More questions than answers for Mpls. police officer turned bank robber:
... Minneapolis police officer and swat team member Timothy Carson has admitted to robbing the bank. Federal court records show Carson was on a one man crime spree. He's the suspect in robberies at several other businesses along County Road 42 in Apple Valley and admitted to crimes in both Hennepin and Dakota counties...
(Story can also be found here.)

Friday, January 8, 2010

After Robber Cop, Depts. Question Hiring Practices (WCCO)

After Robber Cop, Depts. Question Hiring Practices:
A Minneapolis cop who confessed to a string of robberies across the Twin Cities is a former Marine and served in Iraq for two years. The discovery may force police departments across Minnesota to review their hiring practices... As a member of the Minneapolis Police Department for three years, Carson's employment records show he completed all the requirements and he moved up the ranks quickly. A year after he started he was promoted to the SWAT team. It's a special unit assignment that usually takes an officer three years to get...

Mpls. cop admits to robberies as colleagues ask why (Star Tribune)

Mpls. cop admits to robberies as colleagues ask why:

The Minneapolis police officer accused of robbing an Apple Valley bank and linked to as many as a dozen other armed robberies was described by colleagues Friday as a quiet, good cop, and he received multiple awards for his service with the U.S. Marines Corps Reserves, which included a yearlong deployment to Iraq. Timothy Edward Carson, 28, reportedly told investigators that he needed the money but did not explain further...

Cop arrested after robbing bank on his way to work (KARE)

Cop arrested after robbing bank on his way to work:
A Minneapolis police SWAT team member was charged Thursday in the takeover-style robbery of a suburban bank, and authorities said he confessed to several other armed robberies in the Twin Cities area... [Timothy Edward] Carson was charged with one count of bank robbery in the holdup at a Wells Fargo bank in Apple Valley one day earlier. He did not respond to the charges at the hearing except to say he understood them, and did not enter a plea... An affidavit from an FBI agent said Carson admitted robbing the bank, and "admitted having committed numerous other armed robberies" in Dakota and Hennepin counties. It didn't say whether he told investigators why... They found some of the black clothing and backpack in a trash can outside the station, the affidavit said, and in his locker they found $2,940 in cash taken from the bank and the gun used in the robbery...

Thursday, January 7, 2010

MPD Officer Arrested in Dakota Co. Robberies (KSTP)

MPD Officer Arrested in Dakota Co. Robberies:
A Minneapolis police SWAT team member was charged Thursday in the takeover-style robbery of a suburban bank, and authorities said he confessed to several other armed robberies in the Twin Cities area...

Mpls. SWAT officer arrested in suburban robberies (MPR)

Mpls. SWAT officer arrested in suburban robberies:
A Minneapolis police SWAT team member was arrested Thursday in a string of robberies in suburban Dakota County...

FBI: Gun, Cash From Robbery In Officer's Locker (WCCO)

FBI: Gun, Cash From Robbery In Officer's Locker:
A Minneapolis Police officer and member of the department's SWAT team has been arrested in connection with four separate robberies in Dakota County... He was arrested after a bank robbery in Apple Valley on Wednesday. Sources said Carson, who worked in the 3rd Precinct of South Minneapolis, allegedly robbed the bank while he was on his way to work. Authorities said Carson was arrested at the precinct station. His locker at work was searched and evidence was confiscated...

Minneapolis SWAT cop arrested in suburban bank robbery (City Pages)

Minneapolis SWAT cop arrested in suburban bank robbery:
Minneapolis police officer Timothy Edward Carson has been arrested after allegedly robbing a bank in Apple Valley on Wednesday -- perhaps even on his way to work -- and is being held at the Dakota County jail...

Minneapolis cop charged with bank robbery (Star Tribune)

Minneapolis cop charged with bank robbery:

Minneapolis police officer Timothy Edward Carson's shift on Wednesday started at 9 a.m. But he wasn't there. By the time he told a supervisor he was running late at 9:30, the FBI says, Carson had robbed an Apple Valley bank and was well on his way to getting caught. Carson, 28, was arrested early Thursday and appeared in federal court Thursday afternoon, charged with bank robbery. More criminal charges are expected to follow...