Most Duluth Police officers are decent and hard working and treat citizens with respect. There comes a time when the few officers who do abuse their authority and treat citizens badly need to be exposed. This site will expose those officers. This web site exists today because of the outrageous and unlawful abuse that I recieved from Duluth Police officers in August of 2006.

NOTICE: The information on this site comes from police reports, court records and other public records, media sources, and allegations made by victims and witnesses. All parties mentioned should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise by a court.

Duluth Police officer Kristina Lee Schulte (officer 440) was born in San Diego County, California on October 12, 1983. Kristina grew up in Rochester, Minnesota where she was active in sports including soccer and softball. While living in Rochester Kristina worked at a grocery store and at Gander Mountain. She graduated from Lourdes H.S. in 2001 and then attended UMD and graduated from the law enforcement program at the Fond du Lac Community College and went on to work part-time for the Two Harbors Police. She resigned in October of 2005 in order to take a full-time position with the Duluth Police. On April 26, 2001 Kristina Schulte disobeyed the law and recieved a speeding ticket.

Schulte claims to have been a model and admits "I love to be agressive when it comes to sports." She also said "I sure as hell don't look or act like I am my age" and "When it comes to partying you want to be around me. My friends say that I am the funest person at parties. So lets party sometime." Schulte also said "Sometimes my friends describe me as a little devil". The information in this paragraph comes from Schulte's own self-published web page.

In August 2006, officer Schulte committed multiple criminal offenses and civil rights violations against me that the public has a substantial interest in knowing about.



2005
THE DAVID CROUD HOMICIDE
There have been many complaints over the years about the treatment of Native Americans by Duluth Police officers, but none is more sickening than the case of David Croud who died shortly after being in Duluth Police custody.

David Michael Croud was born on May 22, 1976 and was an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, White Earth Reservation.

On October 12, 2005, an independent witness who owns a business in Downtown Duluth, noticed two Duluth Police officers approach a non-combative David Croud on East Superior Street. The officers were later identified as Chad Philip Nagorski (DOB 10-28-1975) and Gregory Thomas Hamann (DOB 03-07-1975). The business owner said "They had him pinned face first against the sandstone wall of our building". He then asked the officers what "this guy had been doing?" One of the officers said that he had been causing a disturbance in front of another business Downtown. The business owner then said "they flung him to the sidewalk, putting all their weight on him, their knees to his back". When the officers picked David up, his face was covered with blood and a pool of blood was on the sidewalk.

The business owner described what he witnessed to the Minnesota BCA by saying:

"What caught my attention is the violent slamming against the wall...There's also blood in front of my wall here from when he'd gotten smashed up against the wall...They flung him down onto the street on his face...There is quite a pool of blood where they smashed his head down...There's blood from two areas and then blood dripping down the street...they were being pretty rough, I wanted to say hey, sombody's watching ya...I was just shocked...I mean the whole thing kinda shocked me...and it was not just blood, but how much blood...his face looks like pulp."

Another witness said the following to the Minnesota BCA:

"...his whole face was all bloody as though that was the first thing that made contact with the sidewalk...I believe he was handcuffed before he hit the ground..."

A man who was working in the area said the following to the Minnesota BCA:

"the policeman went to open the door and the guy in handcuffs was still kinda looking dazed like he didn't really know where he was... and all of the sudden the policeman slammed his face into the trunk of the car a couple times...and it just startled me because I hadn't seen the guy in the restraints do anything to warrant any kind of reaction... all of a sudden I saw this guy get his face slammed into the trunk...he just kinda went limp at that point...he just kinda slid to the ground...it was a severe motion...he pushed hard enough that the guy's nose shoulda thumped on the back of the car...it was like he was trying to hurt him...I saw him slam the guy's face into the car and it doesn't look right...I guess it really scared me, the fact that this one cop looked like he was overstepping the bounds."

This witness said that he was afraid to report what he seen happen to David Croud because he feared that the police may do the same thing to him. He said to the Minnesota BCA: "now what if that could be me."

After David was put into to back of a squad car and was in handcuffs, he was tasered with a high voltage stun by officer Shana Lynn Harris-Marcus (DOB 09-20-1967) who was now at the scene.

Before officer Harris used the taser on David, one witness described the scene by saying: "I saw some other police officers and they were kinda laughing".

Just before David is stunned, the business owner described officer Harris in this way: "she had a big smile on her face".

Because David was spitting up blood, a bag was placed over his head. The business owner was so disgusted by what he witnessed that he called 911 to report the abuse. David never went to jail, but rather was taken directly to the hospital where he went into a coma and died several days later. The St. Louis County medical examiner determined that the death was accidental.

MY TWO CENTS ON THE STUN USED ON DAVID CROUD: In January 2006, Washington County Attorney Doug Johnson who investigated the incident, announced in a press conference that the taser used on David Croud was not charged properly and thus did not work. That statement makes me sick because such a statement is either a deliberate cover-up or an utter failure to properly investigate the facts. Johnson's press conference was to give his reasons why he cleared the police in Croud's death.

Johnson did say, "Now, we can disagree as to whether or not they properly took him down on the street where he got the blood coming from his head..." The Duluth News Tribune reported that "Johnson suggested that the Croud family could pursue a civil claim. He said there were inconsistencies in the events as explained to investigators by police and hospital personnel."

The police claimed in an interview with the Minnesota BCA that the taser was not properly charged and it did not work properly. Johnson apparently bought this story and either ignored or did not investigate the evidence.

Everyone knows how a flashlight works. If you put new batteries in it, the light will be bright. As the batteries are used, the light gets dimmer and dimmer until the batteries are completely dead.

THAT IS NOT HOW A TASER WORKS!

A stun gun usually has a 9 volt battery. It uses a large capacitor to turn those 9 volts into an extremely high voltage current such as 50,000 volts. A capacitor can store the energy needed to generate a high voltage even with a very low charged battery. Since a capacitor stores energy, it may have enough energy in it to stun someone even if the battery had been completely drained or removed. The capacitors in a television can kill a person even if it had been unplugged for years. It was falsely assumed in this case that a tazer with a low charged battery would either not work or only give a small shock. Just the opposite is true.

Witnesses including officer Nagorski, clearly heard the arc sound of the taser. Officer Nagorski said to the Minnesota BCA, "I heard a crack of a taser." If the taser had not worked, it would not have made any sound.

Three witnesses heard the arc of the taser and a fourth witness said that he seen the blue flash of the taser. This contradicts the statement that officer Harris gave to the Minnesota BCA which states:

"I went up and tried to do a touch tase but course our tasers didn't work".

Witnesses described the following to the Minnesota BCA about the use of the taser:

WITNESS ONE: "The officer...came over and tasered 'em...that electric thing, I could hear that...I could hear it...like zzz---zzz...it was kinda repetitive."

WITNESS TWO: "I kept hearing this snapping noise, like electric arc."

WITNESS THREE: "She has a tazer...I hear the crack of a tazer...I heard a crack of a tazer."

WITNESS FOUR: "they've got a tazer now...and then I saw blue lights...they used the tazer on him."

The Minnesota BCA used faulty information in their report with regard to evidence of tazer marks. They assumed that because they didn't see any tazer marks on David, that he must not have been actually stunned. The problem with this assumption is that David wasn't checked for marks until the day after the incident. The tiny marks may have healed or may have been disguised by bed marks that anyone would have from laying in one position for 24 hours. Also, the test photograph provided to the BCA from the tazer company showed what the tiny marks look like on a pigskin only. Pigs have a skin color more like that of a caucasian and not like that of a Native American with darker skin. It's possible that marks on a dark skinned person might be undetectable.

A Minnesota Department of Health Special Investigator indicated in his report that the St. Louis County Medical Examiner said that the way Croud was restrained was a factor in Croud's death. The report indicated "the police officers directed that the patient be positioned in a prone position, handcuffed behind his back on a gurney at the time of his admission".

According to P-I Reporting, 69 people died in the United States between 2000 and 2004 after being stunned. According to an investigation by The Arizona Republic, 167 people died in the U.S. and Canada between 1999 and 2005 after being stunned. The investigation reported that in "27 cases, medical examiners said Tasers were a cause, a contributing factor or could not be ruled out in someone's death." In many of the other cases, the taser victim suffered a cardiac arrest, just like David Croud had. It is now clear that stun guns can and do kill people. Since the Croud incident, several people have required hospitalization after being stunned by the Duluth Police.


2005
DULUTH'S TOP COP CHARGED WITH DUI
Duluth Mayor Herbert W. Bergson was arrested and charged with DUI following an accident in Washburn County in December 2005. Bergson who was a former Superior Police officer, attempted to cover up his accident when a passer-by stopped to help. The arresting officer described Bergson as "not very cooperative" and said that he "just wanted to get away from the crash scene". The story of the arrest made the New York Times with the now famous mugshot. Bergson stated that "I used poor judgment, and brought shame and embarrassment upon many people I love." Bergson refused to say who he had been drinking with before the accident but did say that his wife has forgiven him and stands behind him. As Mayor, Bergson was the boss of the Duluth Police Chief. Bergson lost his bid for relection in 2007.

2003
THREE WOMEN ACCUSE COP OF SEXUAL CRIMES
A woman accused Duluth Police officer Dean Allen Symens of touching her inappropriately in the spring of 1999. In February 2000, another woman accused officer Symens of unwanted sexual touching. According to the complaint officer Symens ran his left hand from the woman's knee up the inside of her thigh, stopping on her genital area briefly, then running his hand back down the woman's leg. Symens then asked the woman "what are you doing tonight?''. The only punishment that officer Symens got was a written reprimand.

Then in 2003, officer Symens was placed on administrative leave after a third woman filed a complaint against him. Symens was charged with first-degree burglary, fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct - engaging in sexual contact with another person using force or coercion, fifth-degree sexual conduct - engaging in nonconsensual sexual contact and misconduct of a public officer. Officer Symens refused to be interviewed by police.

The victim testified that she awoke to find that officer Symens had illegally entered her apartment. The victim then testified that ``He grabbed me... He grabbed my arms first. He lifted me off the ground. He grabbed me around my butt and lower back. My feet were off the ground. I told him to put me down. He started kissing my chest. I told him to stop ... He said he couldn't help himself." The victim also testified that Symens had groped her while she was a 16-year-old high school student.

Symens' slick Minneapolis attorney was successful in convincing a jury that Symens was innocent of the charges and the officer was aquitted in 2003. This was despite a witness who testified as to hearing the victim scream and then seen her run out of the apartment wearing only a blanket, followed by officer Symens. The jury was not allowed to hear about the other two women who complained about officer Symens sexually touching them.

2003 & 2006
HIT & RUN COP CHARGED WITH HARASSMENT
Duluth Police Sgt. Craig Louis Johnson (DOB 12-30-1954) was involved in a hit & run accident on May 9, 2003 when the unmarked squad car he was driving struck a pedestrian and then fled the scene. According to the victim, the car struck him in the leg and threw him onto the hood of the car. A witness also said that she saw the car strike the victim and seen the victim go accross the hood of the car. The witness stated that the driver could not have struck the man without seeing him. The victim suffered bruises, cuts, sprained wrist, and back injuries.

Johnson was charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of leaving the scene of an accident and one count of careless driving. He plead guilty to careless driving in October of 2003 and was fined $500.

Johnson has since been charged with making 119 harassing or obscene calls to his ex-girlfreind between February 8 and March 17, 2006. Many of the calls were made using a police cell phone and while being on the clock at the department. The calls were made to the ex-girlfreind's home, work, and cell phone. The ex-girlfreind recieved a restraining order against Johnson in March of 2006. He was found guilty in June 2007.

Duluth has so much money to burn that it put Johnson on paid leave between March and September 2006.

2002 & 2003
BABY DIES AFTER VIOLENT ATTACK BY POLICE
On August 1, 2002 Duluth Police responded to a report of a dispute about some dogs. According to a complaint, Duluth Police officer Rodney Michael Wilson (DOB 05-24-1975) began violently striking a Duluth man with his baton and sprayed him with a chemical agent even while he was in a fetal position on the ground and begging officer Wilson to stop. The attack was so disturbing that a pregnant woman who witnessed the un-provoked attack by the police, pleaded with Wilson to stop striking the man. Madison Police officer James J. Grann (DOB 10-28-1973) was with Wilson on a ride-a-long. Grann picked up the woman and violently threw her on the ground and jumped hard onto her stomach. The woman was forced to abort her pregnancy due to the violent attack. Both victims filed lawsuits against the Duluth Police in 2004 asking for more than $1 Million.

Officer Grann has been involved in several other lawsuits including one of discrimination and exessive force. In that case, the Madison Police did a typical biased investigation and then refused to release the internal police investigation to the victims. U.S. District Magistrate Stephen Crocker ruled that the report must be released and "that there was no good cause to keep sealed the department's file on its investigation into a complaint".

In 2003, officer Rodney Wilson was involved in the police shooting of a Native American teen who was shot at about 20 times by police. The teen's attorney said: "And since he's an Indian boy, he's an expendable commodity in this community. Somebody is going to have to explain to me how so many shots can be fired at an individual who obviously never returned fire, and had been shot so many times from behind, and yet those actions be justifiable...My opinion is if this were a white kid from Duluth East, this would be very different."

2003
ELDERLY MAN BEATEN BY DULUTH POLICE
On August 3, 2003 Duluth Police officers Marcia Anne Becker (DOB 11-06-1960) and Joel Don Olejnicak (DOB 01-30-1976) responded to a disturbance call in Morgan Park. An Elderly man stepped outside of his house to find his son and another man fighting. According to a lawsuit filed in 2004 asking for more than $600,000 in damages, Becker and Olejnicak began an unprovoked attack on the elderly man by striking him with their batons. The man had bruises for weeks after the attack. The complaint says that Olejnicak and Becker filed false and misleading police reports to cover up their misconduct.



1998
BOOK CRITICAL OF DULUTH POLICE
On September 27, 1998, UMD football player Nicholas P. Dennen was walking home from a party when a Duluth Police officer spotted him and sent his police dog after the student. He was forced to run through the dark woods to avoid the dog and ended up falling off of a 35 foot cliff into Chester Creek. Nicholas had a severe head injury with brain damage and permanent mental and physical injuries. He filed a lawsuit against the Duluth Police seeking over $1 Million in damages.

Nicholas wrote the book 23: Time To Choose which was published in 2006. The book tells about his life altering event that was caused by the Duluth Police. He is critical of the Duluth Police for the unreasonable use of a police dog against him.

Two other UMD students died Chester Creek in 2001 and 2004.

1997
DULUTH COP LIED TO POLICE-COVERED UP HIT & RUN
On December 28, 1997, the drunk and off-duty Duluth Police officer Kevin Lee Tomlin (DOB 10-02-1965) left a bar with other drunk family and friends. Tomlin's friend struck and seriously injured a pedestrian and killed the man's dog on Hermantown Road. The friend fled the scene but Tomlin stayed and called an ambulance. According to police reports, Tomlin first said that he didn't know who was driving the vehicle that struck the pedestrian and gave a false discription of the vehicle. The next day, Tomlin admitted to lying to Hermantown Police. In April 1999, a St. Louis County jury found Tomlin guilty of obstructing legal process.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals later overturned the conviction because the paticular statute that Tomlin was found guilty under was too broad and didn't specificly indicate that lying to police was concidered obstruction. Another law does however make it a crime to lie to police.

1996
BLACKS TARGETED BY DULUTH POLICE
On January 8, 1996 after an armed robbery, Duluth Police began stopping black men throughout the day. Two of the men stopped were UMD college students and another man was stopped at gun-point near the Miller Hill Mall. None of the men had anything to do with the robbery. The students were grabbed by the police and brought into a room where they were searched and treated rudely. They were held for about 20 minutes. One victim said that the police made him feel like he didn't belong in Duluth and said "I think it should have done with more respect".

1996
DULUTH SETTLES POLICE WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIM
Nineteen year old Chad Hyke was struck and killed by a speeding Duluth Police squad car on Grand Avenue in 1994. The squad was going 70 MPH in a 45 MPH zone without it's emergency lights or siren on and ran over the teen who was on his bicycle. In 1996, the family settled a wrongful death claim against the police for $62,500.




1994
DULUTH COP LIES ABOUT PARKING IN HANDICAP SPOT
Duluth Police Sgt. Pat Nichols illegally parked his squad car in a handicap spot near the Downtown Holiday Inn on October 31, 1994. Nichols happened to be the head of the Police Traffic Bureau. He claimed that he was dropping off an ill secret service agent, but witnesses contradict this story. A Holiday Inn employee seen officer Nichols, who was alone, drive up the ramp the wrong way and then park in the handicap spot even though six other spaces were empty nearby. Another witness also said that the officer was alone and was parked in the spot for over an hour. The Police Department said that it disciplined officer Nichols but illegally refused to say what that discipline was which is a violation of Minnesota data statutes.



1993
DULUTH POLICE ARREST WRONG MAN WHO GOES TO PRISON
On December 15, 1992, convicted burglar Jerome Thomas Clepper robbed the Forest Lake State Bank. Then in January 1993, he robbed the Norwest Bank in Two Harbors and on January 29, 1993, he robbed the St. Louis Bank in Duluth.

Based on sketchy circumstantial evidence, Duluth carpenter Shaun Deckinga was arrested in February 1993. Then on February 17, 1993, a local federal judge refused to allow Deckinga bail. The man was forced to spend five months in the St. Louis County Jail until his trial. While Deckinga was in jail, a bank in Grantsburg, Wisconsin was robbed on May 18, 1993. The robber looked just like the robber in the other three robberies. Durring Deckinga's trial, the judge refused to allow an expert on mistaken identities. Deckinga was convicted of two robberies and headed back to jail.

On June 17, 1993 another bank was robbed. This time Jerome Clepper was arrested for the robbery and admitted to robbing the other banks as well. Deckinga was cleared of the robberies in August of 1993 after spending six months behind bars. He ended up filing a lawsuit against a Duluth Police detective. This case has been written about in several books and appeared on A&E's American Justice TV program.

1991
DULUTH COP SUSPENDED FOR OBSTRUCTION
Duluth Police officer Terrence J. Davis was suspended without pay for "obstructing the legal process" with regard to the ticketing process. According to the Duluth News-Tribune, this was "apparently for fixing or showing preferential treatment with traffic tickets".

1990
DULUTH COP CHARGED- SOLD SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
In April 1990, Duluth Police Detective Sgt. Dale Alfred Erickson (DOB 01-08-1931) was charged with a misdemeanor for unauthorized compensation to a public officer after he accepted money from a private investigator in exchange for someone's Social Security Number. According to the investigation, Erickson abused his authority as a police detective to obtain the number from a bank. Erickson pleaded guilty, was fined $400, and was put on a 30 day unpaid suspension.

Police believed that Erickson may have been illegally selling information for up to a year and a half. He escaped further serious charges only because the key witness against Erickson, police Sgt. Gary Wilson, was killed in the line of duty. Gary did the right thing by reporting Erickson's illegal activities and for that he will always be remembered as a good cop.

1990
DULUTH OFFICER SUSPENDED FOR EXCESSIVE FORCE
Duluth Police officer Alan Paul Champion (DOB 10-15-1948) was suspended without pay for punching a man in the stomach on April 5, 1990 while the man was in custody and in handcuffs. The incident was captured on camera and occured at police headquarters. Champion claimed that he was just trying to control an unruly prisoner, but an internal investigation found otherwise. Duluth Police Chief Eli Miletich said "Champion's use of exessive force was brutal in that the subject was handcuffed behind his back, was in an enclosed room containing four uniformed police officers and had made no attempt to escape."

The victim said "I was upset that I had no circulation in my hands, the cuffs were too tight...they were trying to force me into taking the intoxilyzer test...there was brutality...I was in handcuffs. He definitely had no reason to be hitting me. He was on a power trip. His attitude was he could get away with anything because he's a cop." The victim later filed a lawsuit against the police asking for $200,000 in damages

1989
DULUTH OFFICER HELP$ HIM$ELF TO LOT$ OF CA$H
In 1989, Duluth Police officer Rodney James Radich (DOB 10-08-1947) was sentenced after he pled guilty to stealing $1,750 from the police property room. This charge came after he had already pled guilty to stealing about $38,000 from the police department and related associations.

1987
MAN FALSELY ARRESTED AND THREATENS LAWSUIT
In August of 1987, the Duluth Police recieved a report that a man and woman were fighting. When the officers arrived, they didn't see anyone fighting but did see a man who was wearing a bath towel going into his own apartment. The officers knocked on the door and the man answered. The man who was still wearing only a bath towel, did not want to talk to the officers and he attemped to close the door. The officers then illegally entered the man's home and arrested him. Durring the arrest, the man's towel came off causing him to be naked which caused him embarrassment. All of the charges that the police filed against the man were dismissed by a Duluth judge. The judge stated that the man "clearly and unequivocably communicated to the officers his intent not to answer their questions and to retreat inside his apartment. The officers prevented him from doing so without a search arrest warrant." The man and his attorney threatened to sue the city for $50,000 if they woulden't settle the matter. The City Attorney said that if he finds that the police acted improperly, then the city will pay.

1984
DULUTH SETTLES $900,000 LAWSUIT AGAINST POLICE
In 1982, a Duluth man had his shoulder dislocated and arm broken as well as suffered bruises and lacerations durring a traffic stop and arrest by the Duluth Police. The victim filed a $900,000 Federal lawsuit against the Duluth Police that was settled for a lesser amount in 1984. The Duluth City Attorney stated that "Considering the extent of injuries, and the additional exposure for attorney's fees under the Civil Rights Act, this appears to be a very good settlement".

1983
TWO DULUTH COPS SUSPENDED OVER FAVORITISM
Two Duluth Police officers were suspended without pay in August of 1983 after they let a speeder go free because he was the friend of a police officer. When the officer had pulled the man over, he used the police radio to verify that the man's name was valid. An officer in another squad heard the man's name and radioed to the other officer that the man was a "very, very close friend of mine" and asked the officer to "drop it". The officers involved were trying to cover up their actions by using a radio scrambler that was meant for emergencies. The scrambler did not work so the entire conversation was broadcasted and recorded by the dispatcher. Police Chief Miletich said, "We don't shy away from any investigation of police wrongdoing...".

1983
DULUTH POLICE CLERK CHARGED WITH THEFT
In February 1983, Duluth Police Clerk Rosemary Falk was charged with two felony counts including theft and forgery. Falk was accused of stealing over $10,000 from the city by making false payroll claims. Falk was suspended from the Duluth Police Department without pay.

1981
DULUTH POLICE FALSELY ARREST & BEAT MAN
A Duluth man filed a lawsuit against the Duluth Police in 1981 after he was falsely arrested, imprisoned, and beaten by two Duluth Police officers. The City of Duluth tried to settle the matter by actually sending the victim a settlement check, but the man's attorney said, "As far as I'm concerned, it's not settled..."

1980
DULUTH POLICE ACCIDENTLY SHOOT TWO BURGLARS
In April 1980, a Duluth K-9 officer had taken two burglary suspects into custody and held the men at gun-point while he was escorting them. The officer's dog lunged against his leash which caused the officer to lose his balance and his gun fired. The bullet went through the leg of one suspect and grazed the leg of the other suspect. One of the alleged burglars later filed a lawsuit against the police asking for more than $50,000 in damages.

1980
DULUTH POLICE SUED OVER FALSE ARREST OF BLACK MAN
A Duluth man filed a federal lawsuit against the Duluth Police after two officers falsely arrested him in June of 1979. According to the complaint, the two officers seen the black man on a city bus and assumed that it was another man who was wanted. The only resemblance between the two men was that they were black. The height, age, weight, and hair color were all different. The lawsuit seeked over $50,000 in damages plus attorney's fees.

1978
DULUTH CITY COUNCILOR SAYS POLICE COVERED UP CRIME
Duluth City Councilor Thomas Agnew alleged that a cover-up of a crime and police misconduct had occured within the Duluth Police Department and that prominent officers had knowledge of the incident. Councilor Agnew was seeking an investigation by the City Council into the complaint. Duluth Police Sgt. Eli Miletich called the allegation "bullshit".

1972-1977
FEMALE OFFICER FIGHTS DULUTH POLICE DISCRIMINATION
A female Duluth Police officer filed a sex-discrimination complaint against the Duluth Police Department in December of 1972. According to the complaint, the policies of the Duluth Police discriminated against woman with regard to hiring, pay, benefits, promotion, and job positions. In 1973, a District Court action which would have halted a discriminatory promotion practice was thwarted because the tests were postponed days after the suit was filed. In 1975, the Minnesota Human Rights Department ordered the Duluth Police Department to give women equal pay and an equal chance to advance. The city and it's attorney attempted thwart this decision right up until 1977.



1971
DULUTH POLICE CORRUPTION MAKES COVER OF TV GUIDE
Duluth Police abuse and corruption was so prevalent in 1971 that it made the cover of the November 13, 1971 issue of TV Guide. The title of the article was Hassle In Duluth A TV Station And Police Lock Horns

WDIO-TV recieved a letter from a person who alerted the station about a problem he had with a local used car dealer. WDIO's investigation showed that at least three Duluth Police officers were involved in the illegal business and that the police were also falsifing title transfers. Then WDIO discovered that the police were tampering with and doctoring police records.

On March 29, 1971 WDIO responded to the Ski Hut in East Duluth where Sgt. Richard Charles Gunnarson (DOB 02-22-1927) and Lt. Alexander Nicholas Lukovsky had captured two burglars. Reporter Dennis Anderson had captured the arrest on tape. In an obvious retaliation against WDIO, Gunnarson illegally seized the camera and tape. The Minnesota Civil Liberties Union had said that the actions of the Duluth Police were "a serious violation of the First Amendment" and the national journalism society Sigma Delta Chi said that they "view with disgust" the civil rights abuse by the Duluth Police. WDIO filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Gunnarson and Lukovsky and won the landmark civil rights decision.

The Duluth Police still hadn't completely gotten even with WDIO for exposing it's corruption. According to WDIO's employees, the police began a harrassment campaign which included continuing radar speed traps set up near WDIO and near the General Managers home that resulted in many staff members getting pulled over and ticketed for frivolous infractions. Then the corruption-friendly police union announced a boycott against all of WDIO's sponsors. A local merchant who had a large contract with the City of Duluth was threatened that they would lose the contract if they didn't pull all of their ads from WDIO. Realizing that the police department was corrupt, none of the sponsors canceled their ads and the police union's plan had backfired. One advertiser said "As soon as I got the police resolution in the mail, I called the manager of WDIO and told him to get his lawyers after those people. It's not right that police be involved in this kind of action."

1971
DULUTH COPS ILLEGALLY SEARCH BUSINESSES
In March of 1971, the Duluth City Attorney and the Assistant St. Louis County Attorney told the Duluth Police Chief that the search of three Duluth businesses was illegal and that the police should return the illegally seized merchandise to all of the businesses involved.

1971
WOMAN FILES SUIT AFTER POLICE SEARCHED HER HOME
In June of 1971, a Duluth woman filed a $10,000 lawsuit against the Duluth Police after two officers allegedly entered and searched the woman's home. According to the complaint Sgt. Daniel Price and Sgt. George Vanderport illegally entered the woman's home using force and false authority and without a warrant. The claimant said that the police thoroughly searched her home from one end to the other dispite her protest. The well known civil rights law firm of Friedman & Friedman represented the woman.

1970
DULUTH OFFICER SHOT AT UNARMERD BOY'S HEAD
On July 4, 1970 a group of people were lighting off fireworks in the Duluth Heights area. Duluth Police officer Allen Butler (DOB 05-02-1940) tried to stop a 16 year old boy, but the boy fled into the woods. According to a witness, officer Butler then pulled out his pistol and fired "One in the air over his (the boy's) head. The second approximately to the boy's head and the third one was straight at him." Officer Butler then arrested the boy's 17 year old brother and hancuffed him and put him into the back of the squad car. Witnesses then said that Butler got within six inches of the 17 year olds face and sprayed him with mace while he was handcuffed in the back of the squad. Butler claimed that he "could not recall" if the mace incident happened but did say that he did fire his gun. Butler's actions caused the police department to revise it's policies and he was reprimanded for his use of mace on the boy.

Duluth Police Chief Milo S. Tasky tried to justify Butler's actions by saying "You must understand the situation. Butler is a Negro". "It would be like a white officer in a Negro neighborhood with a large crowd gathered".

1963
TWO DULUTH OFFICERS CHARGED WITH LARCENY
Duluth Police officers Franklin Charles Storms (DOB 06-23-1925) and Donald Roger Gimpel (DOB 01-13-1935) were charged with first degree grand larceny on August 23, 1963 after they burglarized the Interlake Iron Company building in West Duluth and stole $2,400 worth of materials. The two officers resigned and later pled guilty to second degree larceny.

1960
ACLU FIGHTS DULUTH POLICE IN SUPREME COURT
The Minnesota branch of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief with the Minnesota Supreme Court that challenged the arrest practices of the Duluth Police. The brief claims that police violated a Duluth man's civil rights after four officers entered the man's home without a warrant and arrested him for drunkeness. The police didn't witness the man do anything wrong, and the man was actually asleep on his couch when the police entered. The police also denied the man his right to call his lawyer.

1955
COP GETS HIT BY TRAIN THEN MAKES FALSE REPORT
Duluth Police Sgt. Leroy Brandenhoff resigned after being suspended and then demoted following an accident involving his patrol car. On October 22, 1955, Sgt. Brandenhoff was on night patrol when he picked up a friend to ride with him in his squad car. Even though the red lights were flashing and the bell was ringing at the railroad crossing on 40th Avenue West, Brandenhoff drove though and was almost hit by one train and then a another train struck the patrol car and drug it about 200 feet down the tracks which totaled the car. Sgt. Brandenhoff made a false report of the incident and pressured his friend to lie about the incident also. The friend ended up telling the truth and said that he was in the patrol car for "social" reasons only which violated the Police Department's policy. A Duluth Police Captain stated that Brandenhoff was originally placed on night patrol because "He can't get along with the men or the citizens".

1950
JURY SAYS DULUTH COPS FALSELY ARRESTED MAN
In March of 1950, a unanimous twelve member jury awarded a Duluth man $1,050 after he was falsely arrested by two Duluth Police officers. The complaint alleges that Duluth inspector Alphonse C. Mayville and patrolman Leroy Brandenhoff falsely arrested the man at the Lake Theater in Duluth.



No Joke, 1940 Duluth Police squads had a flashing "DIM" sign!


1939
DULUTH COPS NEED LESSON IN COMMON COURTESY
Duluth Police Chief Edward B. Hansen felt the need to post new courtesy rules for Duluth Police officers. According to the Chief, "There is current among officers the idea that certain classes of people demand courtesy more than others. They are inclined to be courteous to the well-dressed, good-looking, prosperous citizen, and to treat shabbily dressed, foreign persons with little respect or concideration." The Chief went on to say, "Many officers have never been able to overcome that feeling of self-importance which comes with the donning of a uniform." Chief Hansen linked the officers "desire to show off" and the "feeling of self-importance" to be the cause of the officers being discourteous to citizens.


1931
FBI MOST WANTED ROB IN FRONT OF POLICE HQ
On October 2, 1931, two famous outlaws robbed two money messangers in front of the Duluth Police headquarters. They took $58,000 in cash from the men from the First American National Bank of Duluth.

The robbers were Tommy Holden and Jimmy Keating who were wanted gangsters and murderers who escaped from Leavenworth Prison in 1930.

These gangsters were on the FBI's Most Wanted list and were associated with other big name gangsters like Machine Gun Kelly who helped the two escape from prison.

Even though the robbery occured in front of the Duluth Police headquarters, Holden and Keating were able to escape and went on to kill and rob again. This was quite embarassing for the Duluth Police Department.

1931
DRUNKEN COP SUES DULUTH POLICE
Duluth Police officer Willard St. Marie was fired in June of 1931 after allegations of him being drunk while on duty. St. Marie filed a lawsuit against the Duluth Police in August of 1931 claiming that he was only acting as the "official entertainer" for the police department. He said that he had permission from his superior officers to secure liquor for police events and for visiting police officials.



1930's
COP GETS HIS BADGE PINNED TO HIS REAR ON RALEIGH STREET
Raleigh Street in West Duluth is famous for it's "take no crap from anybody" sort of people and the infamous Raleigh Street Gang. Claire W. Schumacher's book The Raleigh Street Saga, speaks of the rocky relationship between the Duluth Police and the citizens of this historic street. Durring prohibition, Duluth cops would often raid homes without a warrant because they knew that many residents didn't speak english and couldn't defend themselves.

One Raleigh Street officer was Louie Olson who would frequently stop at the various taverns to have his flask filled while walking his beat. Another officer was known as Sleepy Eye Thompson who couldn't see anything and never made any arrests. One officer named Willie, thought he was going to "tame Raleigh Street". One evening, a couple of Raleigh Street residents tied officer Willie to a pole using his own handcuffs. They then took the officer's gun and badge and pinned it to the officer's rear end!

1928
REPORT BLAMES POLICE CHIEF FOR POOR CONDITIONS
An efficiency report blamed Duluth Police Chief E.H. Barber for the poor condition of the Police Department and it's officers. According to the report, favoritism, maladjustment, politics, and inefficientcy caused the department to be "run down at the heels".

The report says the department had a lack of "any well-defined administrative policies", was strife-ridden, and lacked discipline. Officers had soiled uniforms, and were smoking and lounging on duty among other things.

1920
DULUTH POLICE CHIEF ARRESTED
Duluth Police Chief John Murphy was arrested by federal authorities on July 7, 1920. He was charged with smuggling large quantities of illegal alcohol from Canada to Duluth. The alcohol was stored in the vault at police headquarters and then distributed. Murphy who used the alias J. Murray, was suspended and then resigned. He was also charged with conspiracy in late July of 1920.

1920
COUNCIL ORDERS CLEAN UP OF POLICE CORRUPTION
Following the arrest of the Duluth Police Chief, the Duluth City Council ordered on July 9, 1920 that the Duluth Police Department clean up it's corruption. A federal probe into Duluth Police corruption began on July 13, 1920 with the convening of a federal grand jury to investigate Duluth officials.

1920
LYNCH VICTIM'S FAMILY FILES CLAIM AGAINST POLICE
On June 15, 1920, three black circus workers were lynched in Duluth following allegations that they had raped a woman. On July 2, 1920, the father of Elmer Jackson, filed a claim against the Duluth Police for $7,500 in damages. According to the claim, the Duluth Police acted negligently by refusing to act on a warning they recieved 15 hours before a lynch mob entered the city jail and hung the three men. The police were also negligent for refusing to use their guns or any other force to stop the mob. Jackson who had no criminal record, was arrested without a warrant or due process.

1920
DULUTH POLICE DETECTIVE SHOOTS AND KILLS INNOCENT MAN
Durring prohibition the Duluth Police set up sting operations to catch alcohol runners. The police set up a steak-out near an abandoned house on Nopeming Road near Gary-New Duluth.

A prominent Duluth real estate agent named Eli Vukadinovich was traveling with a friend on the Nopeming Road around midnight on June 2, 1920. Duluth Police detective Frank Schulte jumped out of the bushes to try to stop Eli's car, but Eli was unable to stop quickly enough and Schulte fired two shots at Eli. He was hit twice in the stomach and later died at the Morgan Park Hospital.

Schulte claimed that he only shot once at the car's radiator but accidenly shot again when his coat got snagged on Eli's car. The man that was traveling with Eli contradicted detective Schulte's claim. Also, no alcohol was found in the car.

Mr. Vukadinovich made his will while dying in the hospital. Eli had a wife and four young children. The family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.

1909
DRUNKEN COP IN CHARGE OF WEST DULUTH STATION
Duluth Police Sgt. Patrick J. Walsh was suspended and demoted following a pattern of being drunk while on duty and inattention to duty. Walsh who was in charge of the West Duluth Police Station, was also accused of frequently calling women on the telephone while he was drunk and engaging in "flippant conversations" with them.

1898
DRUNK DULUTH OFFICER ARRESTED
An arrest warrant was issued on March 17, 1898 for Duluth Police Officer Boyle. The officer was accused by the mayor and police chief of being drunk while on duty and sleeping under the Lake Avenue viaduct.



1898
DULUTH CAUSES THE LAST INDIAN WAR IN THE U.S.
His name in Ojibwe was Bug-o-nay-ge-shig which is translated as Hole-In-The-Day. The government officials in Duluth called him "Old Bug" after he was arrested in April of 1895 and brought to Duluth to face charges of illegally selling alcohol. Old Bug spent six months in the St. Louis County Jail before the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence. Old Bug was left to make the long journey home by himself in the middle of winter without any money. He arrived home weak and ill and vowed that he would never again be taken by a white man.

Officers used to get paid extra for each arrest that they made so it was a regular practice to arrest Indians on little or no evidence. This clear injustice upsetted Old Bug and many other Natives.

Old Bug was a Pillager band chief and happens to be one of my ancestors. In 1898, government agents again wanted Old Bug to be brought back to Duluth to be a witness in another alcohol bootlegging case. Agents from the White Earth Agency arrested him but he was able to escape with the help of some Indian women.

The battle that would become the very last U.S.-Indian war ever fought in the United States was now brewing.

On October 5, 1898 the headlines in the Duluth News Tribune were "WAR ON RED MEN" "Bear Island Indians Refuse to Surrender and Will Now be Forced" "BLOOD WILL FLOW TODAY". In a stunning defeat, the only blood that flowed on this day was that of the government soldiers.

Ninty-nine soldiers under the command of General John M. Bacon and Major Melville Wilkinson were called in to capture Old Bug. On October 5, 1898 the soldiers made their way to Sugar Point on the Leech Lake Reservation where they thought Old Bug was. One of the soldier's guns accidently fired which caused the Pillager Indians to return fire. By the end of the day Major Wilkinson was dead along with six soldiers, and two police. Sixteen other soldiers were wounded. The Indians had no casualties.

On October 6, 1898, the headline in the Duluth Evening Herald screamed out "DESPERATE FIGHTING" and over 200 Minnesota militia troops arrived with a Gatling gun to restore law and order. Nearly the entire front page of the New York Times on both October 6th and 7th was devoted to the war with headlines like "TROOPS BATTLE WITH INDIANS", "UPRISING OF PILLAGERS", and "INDIANS BESIEGE GENERAL BACON". The War Department in Washington D.C. recieved General Bacon's urgent message on October 7th. An emergency conference was held at the White House and President William McKinley ordered that ample reinforcments be sent to General Bacon at once. The Duluth Evening Herald reported on October 10th that 100 Duluth soldiers had been called out to protect the towns around the Leech Lake Reservation. By this time the tensions were winding down and the battle had really ended on October 5th, however rumors of more fighting were rampant.

A dozen of the Pillagers who were involved with the battle were taken to Duluth to stand trial in the U.S. District Court. On October 22, 1898, Judge William Lochren sentenced the Pillagers to between two to ten months in jail. On January 3, 1899, President McKinley gave pardons to all of the Pillagers involved in the battle.

Of the many newspapers that covered the war, the West Duluth Sun and the New York Times were some of the few newspapers who spoke of the real reason behind the war- the terrible treatment of Old Bug by the authorities in Duluth.

It's been over 100 years since the battle and the spirit of Old Bug is alive and well and continues to demand justice.

1870
DULUTH OFFICER ARRESTED BY U.S. MARSHALS
U.S. Marshal's traveled to Duluth to arrest a Duluth Police officer in 1870. The warrant was issued against the officer for stealing a trunk from a train in Illinois.

1870
FIRST DULUTH POLICE CHIEF SKIPPED TOWN WITH PAYROLL
The first Duluth Police Chief Robert S.D. Bruce was appointed by Duluth's first mayor Colonel J.B. Culver on April 21, 1870. Six weeks later, Chief Bruce vanished with the city's payroll.


FORMER COPS - WHERE THEY ARE NOW


Nicholas Radulovich
Nicholas Radulovich: (DOB 10-21-1916) This former Duluth Police officer committed suicide on January 5, 1985 after he murdered his neighbor and shot his neighbor's wife. The reason for the shooting is still a mystery.

On August 1, 1993, officer Radulovich's son Duane murdered three people in Duluth and then fatally shot himself.

Officer Nicholas Radulovich's brother Eli was also a Duluth Police officer. Eli also made headlines for his reckless use of his service pistol. Several Duluth youths made the mistake of driving down the street in which Eli lived on. Their car happened to stall in front of officer Radulovich's house. Without any justifiable cause, the officer approached the youths with his pistol pointing at them and telling them that he wasn't afraid to shoot them.

Timothy Alan Campbell: (DOB 10-22-1960) Tim was a Duluth Police officer from 1991 until 2005. In 2006, Tim was charged with six counts including theft by swindle after he allegedly stole over $100,000 from his elderly mother. In January 2008, a Duluth judge dismissed the charges against Campbell because the law was unconstitutionally vague. This is based on a legal technicality and not on the merits of the case. The prosecutor has the right to appeal the judge's decision and the criminal case could end up in court again. The judge did make it clear that Campbell’s claims were "simply not believable" and used the phrase "immoral and reprehensible" when discribing Campbell's actions. Campbell was sued by his brother who is another former Duluth Police officer. That case was settled out of court.




YES, THIS IS A REAL BOOK!
Although fiction, this book by the famous author Gore Vidal exposes Duluth as a city full of corruption.