Too often, reporters prefer narratives over the truth.
If you’re waiting for the mainstream media to apologize for ignoring Hunter Biden’s laptop or promoting the Russian collusion hoax, keep waiting.
That lets documentary filmmakers tell the stories that aren’t being told.
In the past, that’s given us Amanda Milius’ “The Plot Against the President,” which predated the Durham Report’s shocking expose on the Trump/Russia storyline. The 2021 documentary “Rush to Judgment” skewered the press for declaring the Covington Catholic High School kids guilty without having all the facts at their disposal.
This year uncorked three such films, documentaries that shed a harrowing light on corruption. These filmmakers picked up stories reporters wouldn’t touch, and the results proved explosive.
<h2>“The Essential Church” </h2>
<div id="attachment_657481" style="width: 399px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-657481" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-657481" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Essential-Church-Picture1-389x576.jpg" alt="The Essential Church. Grace Productions. IMDB." width="389" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Essential-Church-Picture1-389x576.jpg 389w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Essential-Church-Picture1-202x300.jpg 202w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Essential-Church-Picture1.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 389px) 100vw, 389px" />Grace Productions. IMDB.</div>
Grace Community Church took the COVID lockdowns on the chin, and the congregation refused to forgive and forget. The church put its grievances on screen via a powerful documentary that connected the past with the uncertain present: &#8220;<a href="https://essentialchurchmovie.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Essential Church.</a>&#8220;
“Church” recalls similar situations when governments stopped citizens from worshiping, giving the film historical heft. Still, reliving the recent lockdown era proves chilling, especially since we’ve learned the measures had little positive impact and plenty of severe ramifications.
The core of the film follows Grace Community Church’s lawsuit against California’s pandemic measures. Head pastor John MacArthur’s fight is echoed north of the Border as two Canadian pastors fight similar battles against similar restrictions. 
This isn’t the first time a Christian community picked up a camera and told a story. In the past, that meant low-budget films with awkward performances and cringe-worthy plots.
“The Essential Church,” in comparison, is handsomely mounted and packs plenty of cinematic polish. The film’s spiritual component is profound, but you don’t have to be a person of faith to process the cruelty behind the lockdown measures or how politicians applied them unequally.
Bustling Black Lives Matter protests could proceed sans restrictions yet sitting before a pastor put everyone’s lives at risk. And they risked severe fines and even jail time for sharing the Holy Word with their flocks.
That may have gone unnoticed by the mainstream press, but the filmmakers behind “Church” couldn’t let it go.
<h2>“Police State”</h2>
<div id="attachment_643489" style="width: 399px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-643489" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-643489" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/ssdd-389x576.jpg" alt="" width="389" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/ssdd-389x576.jpg 389w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/ssdd-202x300.jpg 202w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/ssdd.jpg 452w" sizes="(max-width: 389px) 100vw, 389px" />IMDB. Police State.</div>
Meet the new Dinesh D’Souza.
The provocateur behind “2016: Obama’s America” and “Trump Card’ no longer nurtures his inner Michael Moore. The stakes are too high, and the evidence he summoned for his most recent films doesn’t require a radically partisan lens.
It’s all scary no matter your party affiliation.
His 2022 documentary “2000 Mules” raised questions about election integrity, complete with footage that should have sent shockwaves through government ranks. 
Now, with “<a href="https://policestatefilm.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Police State</a>,” the immigrant asks if his beloved America is becoming a new form of dictatorship. Sound hyperbolic? You won’t say so after processing D’Souza’s compelling evidence.
Conservatives already know some, but not all, of the terrifying stories the pundit-turned-filmmaker shares. Mothers dubbed “domestic terrorists” for questioning their local school’s curricula. Senior citizens hunted down like criminals for simply standing around the Capitol on Jan. 6. Big Tech platforms teaming with the FBI to prevent citizens from flexing their First Amendment rights.
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Sadly, there are many more tales to be told, and “Police State” assembles them in a cold, calculating fashion. D’Souza admits he couldn’t tell his tale if America had a full-blown “Police State.” He suggests we’re running out of time to prevent that reality, and his case is convincing.
<h2>“The Fall Of Minneapolis”</h2>
<div id="attachment_657495" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-657495" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-657495" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Fall-of-Minneapolis-Picture1-576x576.jpg" alt="Collin. IMDB." width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Fall-of-Minneapolis-Picture1-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Fall-of-Minneapolis-Picture1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Fall-of-Minneapolis-Picture1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Fall-of-Minneapolis-Picture1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Fall-of-Minneapolis-Picture1.jpg 904w" sizes="(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Collin. IMDB.</div>
Journalist Liz Collin watched her city burn in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The Minnesota-based TV reporter had a secondary stake in the rancor. Her husband, Bob Kroll, served as the head of the local police union at the time.
That put a target on the couple, realized during a BLM protest that literally came to their front yard. Those gathered took turns <a href="https://patch.com/minnesota/stillwater/protesters-whack-piatas-wcco-reporter-liz-collins-bob-kroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swatting piñatas dressed as Collin and Kroll</a>, an event featuring a local Democrat running for elected office.
Now, Collin is sharing her side of the Floyd aftermath with “<a href="https://www.thefallofminneapolis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Fall of Minneapolis</a>,” streaming for free on Rumble.
Neither Collin nor a crush of talking heads raise their voices about what they call the false narratives that emerged following the black resident’s death.
The tone is relentlessly calm as Collin’s team assembles court documents, eyewitness testimony, and bodycam footage to correct the media’s record on Floyd, Black Lives Matter, and more.
We watch veteran police officers tear up as they recall their orders to abandon their precinct to raging protesters. The former peace officers watched their building go up in flames, lucky to escape with their lives. Their supervisors refused to grant them riot gear to protect them from the bricks, Molotov cocktails, and fireworks hurled at them.
That’s only part of “Fall’s” story.
The film opens with a full body-cam reel leading up to Floyd’s death. We watch local police officers patiently try to put Floyd in their car after he tried to pass off fake money at a local shop. 
They beg and plead for him to obey to no avail, and seconds after Floyd crumples to the ground they summon EMS.
We also learn that Floyd’s initial autopsy results showed no physical damage to his neck, even though the media told us officer Derek Chauvin’s unorthodox police hold prevented the suspect from breathing.
There’s more, so much more, and the alleged corruption spreads to the media, local community organizers &#8230; even the FBI.
None of this would be available to the public without filmmakers eager to ask the tough questions and answer them to the best of their ability.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Minneapolis Minnesota

Three Documentaries That Shocked The Mainstream In 2023

Dinesh D’Souza

Documentaries

Entertainment

John MacArthur

Minneapolis

Readers Pass

Legal representation for Minneapolis Police officer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-derek-chauvin-sentenced-for-murder-of-george-floyd">Derek Chauvin</a> has filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal to the contentious and highly-publicized case concerning the death of George Floyd. Attorney William Mohrman, doing an interview with The Daily Wire, said his client was denied the right to a fair trial, and emphasized how the jury was biased from the outset, especially one specific juror.
Chauvin was sentenced in 2021 to over 20 years behind bars after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death. Videos of the arrest and of Floyd’s detainment on the ground by Chauvin went viral in 2020, sparking protests and riots across the U.S. and even Europe. Holding the trial in Minneapolis, where the incident occurred, effectively guaranteed Chauvin an unfair trial, Morhman said.
&#8220;Under the Sixth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, every criminal defendant is guaranteed a right to a fair trial,&#8221; the attorney explained. &#8220;And part of that fair trial-right is not to be tried in a location where the jurors have either been exposed to extensive pre-trial publicity, or there has been such community outrage and the like that the jurors, before they even were impaneled before the trial, would have concluded the defendant&#8217;s guilty, or would have been pressured into rendering a guilty verdict.&#8221;
&#8220;When that happens,&#8221; Mohrman said, &#8220;the Supreme Court precedents require that the case be moved to another location or venue, as the law puts it.&#8221; However, that&#8217;s not what happened with Chauvin&#8217;s case.
&#8220;During the questioning, I would say the vast majority &#8212; not only the vast majority, probably 75 to 80 percent of the jurors &#8212; expressed concerns for their own personal safety as a result of being impaneled on the jury,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Virtually every juror had obviously heard about the case, knew about the riots, had seen the videos that were taken when George Floyd was arrested; virtually all the jurors have seen that, so it&#8217;s difficult in a case like that to impanel the jury where the jurors haven&#8217;t formed firm conclusions before the trial even starts.&#8221;
Mohrman said their &#8220;primary argument&#8221; is that &#8220;due to the riots that took place in Minneapolis, every juror who was impaneled had a stake in the outcome of the trial, because no juror would want to see their communities burned again in riots.&#8221;
&#8220;Minneapolis suffered half a billion dollars in damage, and all of the jurors, or virtually all the jurors during jury questioning, expressed concerns about another riot breaking out,&#8221; he added.
Mohrman also noted outside factors before and during the trial that could have prejudiced jury members, who were not sequestered in the sense most Americans might expect. Jurors, for example, went home each night, and then met at an undisclosed location in the morning and were brought into the courthouse with heavy security.
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The attorney said that Minneapolis announced a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/12/us/george-floyd-minneapolis-settlement/index.html">27 million dollar</a> settlement with Georgie Floyd&#8217;s estate in the middle of the trial, and noted rather notorious comments from Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters. The Democrat traveled to Minneapolis and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/19/politics/maxine-waters-derek-chauvin-trial/index.html#:~:text=Asked%20what%20protesters%20should%20do,mean%20business%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20said.">told</a> BLM protesters that if there is no guilty verdict, they should “stay on the street,” “get more active,” and “get more confrontational.” Further, the National Guard was deployed by Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) just before the trial. Mohrman argues this was done to prepare for another riot in case Chauvin were to be acquitted &#8212; potentially sending another clear message to the jury that they better convict. 
The attorney also made the argument of potential juror misconduct regarding a specific juror, Juror 52.
“Almost immediately after trial, Juror 52 was on a radio show, being interviewed about his experience as a juror,&#8221; Mohrman explained. &#8220;He expressed happiness at being on the juror panel. Then he said he was really happy with the messages sent to the Minneapolis Police Department because during his life he had had 50 encounters with the Minneapolis police department &#8212; all of them negative. And in one of them, he had a gun pulled on him. Now again, he filled out a juror questionnaire prior to trial saying, to the best of my recollection, he was at least neutral on the Minneapolis Police Department.&#8221;
&#8220;And then the other thing that&#8217;s even more disturbing is that video evidence was found on the internet Juror 52 participated in a &#8216;Get Off Our Necks&#8217; BLM rally in Washington, D.C., in August of 2020,&#8221; the attorney added. &#8220;So, again, he answered questions prior to trial saying he had not been at any protests.&#8221;
Morhman said this case should be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court, especially because of what he sees as the nationwide implications of the trial’s outcome.
“All over the country, police departments in the inner cities are having difficulty hiring police officers,&#8221; he explained, &#8220;and there&#8217;s a debate out there as to why that&#8217;s happening, but two of the primary reasons that are being articulated as to why it&#8217;s happening is, number one, as a result of the trials up here in Minneapolis, and particularly Mr. Chauvin&#8217;s case, if a police officer gets caught up in an ambiguous situation with a suspect, trying to arrest a suspect who&#8217;s resisting arrest, and something happens where the suspect dies, police officers are concerned that they&#8217;re now going to be charged with second degree murder, and looking at a 20 to 40 year sentence for that, which is essentially a life sentence. Police officers are extremely concerned about that, and that&#8217;s why you&#8217;ve had numerous officers around the country who have retired, and why inner city police departments are having trouble hiring new officers.”
The U.S. Supreme Court only hears about 100 appeals of the 7,000 or so cases it’s asked to review annually. But if the court agrees to review the case, and agrees Chauvin did not get a fair trial, the former officer would get a new trial. There is also a Federal Civil Rights conviction against Chauvin, for which he is serving over 20 years concurrently with his state sentence. Challenging this sentence would be a separate legal action following a potential acquittal from a new trial.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin Arrested For George Floyd Death

Derek Chauvin Attorney Talks U.S. Supreme Court Appeal: ‘Every Juror’ Had ‘A Stake’ In Outcome Of Trial

Derek Chauvin Attorney Talks U.S. Supreme Court Appeal, Discusses Sixth Amendment Violations

Courts

Derek Chauvin

Law Enforcement

U.S.

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minneapolis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minneapolis Police Department</a> has confirmed an investigation into a female officer after a man says he recognized the woman from her graphic OnlyFans account about ten minutes after she pulled him over for a traffic violation.
The officer, who has not been publicly named, has allegedly operated an OnlyFans account for an undetermined amount of time, and the page allegedly includes graphic sex acts on film and explicit photos. The officer reportedly does not identify herself as an MPD officer on the subscription site.
&#8220;We were doing a little talking and checking and I was like, ‘Man, she got an OnlyFans page. I’m on her OnlyFans page,'&#8221; the man who was pulled over <a href="https://www.fox9.com/news/minneapolis-pd-officer-outed-as-onlyfans-model-after-pulling-over-subscriber" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> FOX 9. &#8220;You can’t arrest me no more; I’ve seen your private parts.&#8221;
The driver said the officer has sex with a man he assumes is her husband on camera, and allows the content to be viewed by paying members.
&#8220;I wouldn’t want her to be arresting me and I just saw you and your husband last night for $29.99 have sex on OnlyFans,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I just can&#8217;t respect you or the precinct that you’re working at.&#8221;
The man said you have to be a &#8220;VIP&#8221; member to see her videos, which include &#8220;full sex.&#8221;
The Minnesota Law Enforcement Code of Ethics <a href="https://www.stpaul.gov/books/12000-law-enforcement-code-ethics#:~:text=With%20no%20compromise%20for%20crime,violence%20and%20never%20accepting%20gratuities." target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>, &#8220;I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department.&#8221;
FOX 9 has also highlighted that the Minnesota Police Officers Standards and Training Policy states that &#8220;officers shall not, whether on or off duty, exhibit any conduct which discredits themselves or their agency or otherwise impairs their ability or that of other officers or the agency to provide law enforcement services to the community.&#8221;
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The police chief has confirmed the female officer is currently under investigation to see if she has violated any policies. &#8220;We take any allegations of policy violations seriously and the Chief has ordered an investigation,&#8221; the department said.
&#8220;If all we&#8217;re talking about is naked pictures behind a paywall, the mayor has no issue. However, the chief will determine if there are any policy violations,&#8221; Democrat Mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey commented.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-the-women-who-regret-onlyfans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet The Women Who Regret OnlyFans</a>

Unrecognizable man is pulled over for speeding

Man Recognizes Cop From OnlyFans: ‘You Can’t Arrest Me No More; I’ve Seen Your Private Parts’

Man Recognizes Cop From OnlyFans, Department Opens Investigation 

General

OnlyFans

If you want these happy little trees, you’ll need a lot of green. Beloved TV artist Bob Ross’s first-ever on-air <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arts">painting</a> is up for sale and costs almost $10 million.
The late host of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pbs">PBS</a>’s “The Joy of Painting” became massively popular for his friendly, calm demeanor and his insistence that anyone can become an artist. Now Modern Artifact Gallery in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minneapolis">Minneapolis</a> is selling “A Walk in the Woods,” the first of over 400 paintings Ross made on the show. Ross painted it for the premiere episode which aired on January 11, 1983.
“It is season one, episode one of what you would call the rookie card for Bob Ross,” gallery owner Ryan Nelson said of the work, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/21/bob-ross-first-tv-painting-sale-a-walk-in-the-woods">The Guardian</a>. Nelson added that he doesn’t expect the work to sell quickly because of the cost. 
“What this piece represents is the people’s artist,” the gallery owner continued. “This isn’t an institution that’s telling you that Bob Ross is great. It’s not some high-brow gallery telling you that Bob Ross is great. This is the masses, the population in the world that are saying that Bob Ross is great.”
“A Walk in the Woods” was originally sold for an undisclosed amount to a volunteer to raise funds for the local PBS station. The painting was displayed in her home for almost four decades before she contacted Nelson about purchasing it. He bought it last year, then gave it the “not for sale” price of $9.89 million, the outlet noted. 
“Ryan would prefer to take [the painting] out, tour it around to museums and things like that so people can enjoy it and appreciate it,” Nelson’s publicist said. “He will take offers but he’s not in a hurry to sell it.”
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Ross, who died in 1995, had a passion for removing pretentious attitudes from the art world. As he said in the first episode, “We have avoided painting for so long because I think all of our lives we’ve been told that you have to go to school half your life, maybe even have to be blessed by Michelangelo at birth, to ever be able to paint a picture. And here, we want to show you that that’s not true. That you can paint a picture.”

painter

Bob Ross’s First Ever On-Air Painting On Sale For $9.8M

Bob Ross's First Ever On-Air Painting On Sale For $9.8M

Television

The Minneapolis Police Department has been hemorrhaging officers ever since George Floyd&#8217;s death in Minneapolis police custody, and the force&#8217;s staffing crisis recently hit a new low.
With just 585 sworn officers, the city&#8217;s police force last month dipped to its lowest staffing level in at least four decades, the Star Tribune <a href="https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-police-staffing-levels-reach-historic-lows-amid-struggle-for-recruitment-retention/600305214/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The city now has one of the lowest ratios of police officers to city residents out of 22 cities the outlet analyzed, with 1.4 officers for every 1,000 residents.
Only Portland had a lower ratio with 1.3 officers for every 1,000 residents, the Star Tribune reported. The national average is 2.4 officers per 1,000 residents.
The result in Minneapolis has been longer police response times and officers who are stretched thin. Sometimes no one is available to man the desks at police stations, the outlet reported, meaning residents who come to file a police report find a locked door and a handmade sign telling them to dial 911 in an emergency.
&#8220;This is absolutely not sustainable,&#8221; Police Chief Brian O&#8217;Hara <a href="https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-police-staffing-levels-reach-historic-lows-amid-struggle-for-recruitment-retention/600305214/?refresh=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Thank God for all these other agencies that are filling this gap.&#8221;
The Minneapolis police force was thrown into chaos in 2020 after George Floyd&#8217;s police killing when the video of Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd&#8217;s neck went viral.
Minneapolis along with many other U.S. cities saw months of protests and riots in response to Floyd&#8217;s killing, often involving destruction of property and clashes with police.
Chauvin was ultimately convicted on murder charges in 2021 and sentenced to decades in prison.
Since the upheaval of 2020, the Minneapolis police force has lost officers faster than it can hire new ones, but it is not the only city with a police staffing crisis. The U.S. is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-police-hiring-crisis-is-gripping-u-s-cities-and-towns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facing a police officer shortage</a> that spans from large cities to small towns across the country.
Many in law enforcement say departments are suffering from flagging morale thanks to a wave of anti-police sentiment that peaked with Floyd&#8217;s police killing. In some cases, city councils slashed police budgets, leaving some police chiefs feeling abandoned as they are stretched thin trying to keep residents safe.
Resignations among cops were up 47% last year over 2019, and retirements were up 19% <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-experiencing-police-hiring-crisis-rcna103600" target="_blank" rel="noopener">among</a> 200 police forces surveyed by the Police Executive Research Forum.
In New York City, the NYPD <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-mayors-nearly-500-million-gun-violence-plan-doesnt-include-more-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has seen</a> an alarming wave of officers resigning.
In January and February, 239 officers resigned, the biggest exodus since 2007, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/10/nypd-cops-resigning-from-force-in-2023-at-record-pace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NYPD pension data. Also this year, the NYPD lowered its fitness standards in order to bring more women onto the force, a decision the mayor reportedly had to approve.
“The NYPD staffing emergency is approaching the point of no return,” <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/10/nypd-cops-resigning-from-force-in-2023-at-record-pace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch in March.
In Los Angeles, the LAPD is <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lapd-shrinks-9000-officers-fewest-cops-generation-rcna98672" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than</a> 300 officers short and down to fewer than 9,000 officers, the fewest since the 1990s.
San Francisco is about 600 officers short, but the city <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/new-san-francisco-police-hires-reach-three-year-18263146.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been</a> able to attract more recruits lately.
Austin, which is also battling a crime spike, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/union-says-austin-police-dept-battling-crime-spike-hundreds-of-officers-short-after-defund-the-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than</a> 500 officers short, resulting in 911 callers being put on hold, according to a union representing the cops.
Nashville’s police department is short 170 officers.

Minneapolis City Council Announces Support For Dismantling Police Department After Death Of George Floyd

Minneapolis Police Staffing Falls To Lowest Level In Four Decades After George Floyd’s Death

Minneapolis Police Staffing Falls To Lowest Level In Four Decades After George Floyd's Death

Crime

Defund The Police

George Floyd

Police

A security guard who went viral for singing along with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taylor-swift" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taylor Swift</a> song while working at her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concert</a> says he was fired for asking fans to take his photo with the star.
Calvin Denker, who worked for the security company BEST, went <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viral on TikTok</a> when a fan recorded him singing along to “Cruel Summer” at one of Swift’s Minneapolis shows in June, per <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12435881/Taylor-Swift-security-guard-fired-fans-photos.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a>. 
Denker posted a reaction video to the clip where he explained handing out his phone number to fans in the front row, asking them to take his photo when Swift came near him and then text it to him. He admitted that he took the job partly because seeing Swift perform for free was his “goal.”
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@anmaloney/video/7248417098010004778" data-video-id="7248417098010004778">
<section><a title="@anmaloney" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@anmaloney?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@anmaloney</a> Security guard carried section A2! 🎶 @Taylor Swift @Taylor Nation <a title="taylorswift" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/taylorswift?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#taylorswift</a> <a title="erastour" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/erastour?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#erastour</a> <a title="tstheerastour" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tstheerastour?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#tstheerastour</a> <a title="minneapoliststheerastour" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/minneapoliststheerastour?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#minneapoliststheerastour</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Alisa Maloney" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7248417101998803755?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound &#8211; Alisa Maloney</a></section>
</blockquote>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
“After night one I was realizing how close Taylor was getting to me, so I really wanted to get a photo to document it,” Denker said of the experience. “So, I handed out these little pieces of paper that said I wasn&#8217;t allowed to have my phone out but if Taylor Swift comes right behind me, please take a photo of me and text it to my number.”
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Denker said on social media that this move resulted in his termination. 
“Long story short I was fired for it,” Denker said in a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@calvindenker/video/7268044014903987499" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video update</a>. “My former security company said they had a rule against taking photos with any of the performers. The main issue that they had was with my follow-up video where I said that I handed out pieces of paper to ask to be sent any photos that I made my way into.”
“Above all else, I made sure that Taylor Swift was safe and all the fans had a good time. I was doing my job.”
“The HR woman who called me wasn&#8217;t able to articulate exactly what I did wrong,” Denker added.
Since the news of the incident, Denker has been offered other employment. 
&#8220;I have been extended the opportunities to work for several other security companies since the TikTok,&#8221; Denker <a href="https://themessenger.com/entertainment/fired-taylor-swift-security-guard-says-hes-been-offered-jobs-since-going-viral-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Messenger. &#8220;I might decide to take a job interview or two, but this security gig was always meant as my fun job in my free time, and I am a full-time software engineer.&#8221;

Taylor Swift

Security Guard Says He Got Fired For Asking Fans To Take His Photo With Taylor Swift While Working Concert

Minnesota

Music

Every police officer, including the chief of police, has stepped down from the force in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota</a> town after they say complaints of low pay and long hours were left unresolved. 
Goodhue, a city about 65 miles southeast of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minneapolis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minneapolis</a> with just over 1,000 residents, could be without police officers by August 23. It has struggled to attract new police recruits and give competitive pay to officers. The nonpartisan mayor <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/entire-police-department-resigns-minnesota-town-leaves-mayor-blindsided-zero-applicants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> she was “blindsided” by the resignations and promised that the city would be protected. 
&#8220;I want to reiterate that we will have police coverage in the city of Goodhue,&#8221; Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck told Fox 9. &#8220;That is not an issue.&#8221;
Police Chief Josh Smith said the force had trouble getting anyone interested in police work. Smith, another full-time employee, and five part-time employees all announced their resignations last week.
“This has been three weeks now, we have zero applicants, and I have zero prospects,&#8221; Smith said in July. &#8220;I’ve called every PD around for the youngest guys out there, getting into the game. There&#8217;s nobody getting into the game.&#8221;
&#8220;Not that I&#8217;m leaving you guys, because I told you I&#8217;m in it,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/16/entire-goodhue-mn-police-department-resigns/70600991007/#:~:text=The%20town%20of%20Goodhue%2C%20Minnesota,Council%20meeting%20on%20Aug.%209." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at a meeting on July 26. &#8220;But the harsh reality is, I don&#8217;t want to be the guy working 80 hours a week just running this PD, being on call 24 hours a day, which I already am, and leaving no time for my family.&#8221;
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Goodhue City Council raised Smith’s salary by $13,000 and the other officers by 5% this year. 
&#8220;Right now &#8230; trying to hire at $22 an hour, you&#8217;re never going to see another person again walk through those doors,&#8221; Smith said, <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/08/15/entire-police-force-in-goodhue-resigns-after-chief-announces-resignation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noting</a> that cities could frequently give more benefits and higher pay. 
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After all the officers leave, the town is set to contract with the Goodhue County Sheriff&#8217;s Office to provide law enforcement services. The police department in Morris, another Minnesota town, was <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2022/07/20/morris-minn-mayor-says-disbanding-police-was-toughest-decision-of-his-career" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disbanded</a> last year after it could not retain staffers. 
Police departments <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/point-of-no-return-police-leaving-nypd-at-record-breaking-pace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">across the U.S.</a> have struggled to attract <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-suffering-officer-shortage-cant-find-recruits-people-dont-want-to-be-the-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recruits</a> in urban and rural areas. The shortage of officers comes following a wave of anti-police sentiment after the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody in 2020.

Officers standing with hands behind

Mayor ‘Blindsided’ After Entire Police Force Resigns In Minnesota Town

Peter Cahill is a judge in Minneapolis. He was appointed to the bench by Tim Pawlenty in 2007, and re-elected several times by voters. Cahill first gained national attention two years ago, when he presided over the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who made the mistake of trying to restrain George Floyd, who was attacking police officers while on fentanyl and meth.
After the trial, in the fall of last year, Cahill <a href="https://www.judges.org/news-and-info/watch-chauvin-trial-judge-peter-cahill-deliver-fall-2022-justice-jackson-lecture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivered</a> something called the &#8220;Justice Jackson Lecture&#8221; before a large audience of judges at the National Judicial College. As far as we can tell, no news organizations covered his remarks. But the clip is online. The lecture begins with Cahill playing to the crowd, making jokes about various parts of the Chauvin trial. He covers a variety of banal topics, including the importance of upgrading technology in courtrooms.
Then, as the lecture winds down, something remarkable happens. Cahill starts talking like a BLM activist. He drops all pretense of objectivity. It&#8217;s almost as if he forgets he&#8217;s a judge. Watch as Cahill explains to the roomful of judges that actually, every single case they hear should be &#8220;about racial justice&#8221;:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="George Floyd Judge Explains Importance Of &quot;Racial Justice&quot;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WRUxWDoee0Y?start=31&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;Every case should be about racial justice,&#8221; Peter Cahill says. &#8220;Work for equity.&#8221; Take your implicit bias training. Hire people based on their skin color. Think about race all the time, in all of your cases. That&#8217;s what Peter Cahill wants. At one point in his lecture, Cahill says that&#8217;s the way to restore &#8220;trust and confidence&#8221; in the judiciary.
Of course the opposite is true. When judges start talking like race hustlers — when they fixate on the skin color of people in their courtroom, instead of, oh I don&#8217;t know, the law — then they destroy all &#8220;trust and confidence&#8221; in the legal system. It&#8217;s disqualifying. Traffic court judges shouldn&#8217;t act like this, much less famous judges handling murder trials. What Peter Cahill is saying is that if you&#8217;re a defendant in his courtroom, it would help to be a member of racial group that he thinks is oppressed. Otherwise, you might have some problems.
Everyone is familiar with the image of Lady Justice holding the scales. What Cahill and his fellow activist judges apparently haven’t noticed is that Lady Justice, in all of those images, is wearing a blindfold. The law is supposed to be impartial, unbiased, and objective. It is not supposed to take things like race into account. But Cahill rejects this idea. He wants to throw away the blindfold, and the scale, and decide his cases based on his own subjective, ambiguous notion of “racial justice.”
This isn&#8217;t theoretical for this judge. It&#8217;s how he runs his courtroom. Just a few years ago, Cahill dismissed charges against the organizers of a massive riot that shut down the Mall of America for hours. Why? Cahill <a href="https://www.startribune.com/judge-dismisses-charges-against-black-lives-matter-organizers-of-moa-protest/344894812/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> the mall somehow approved of the riot. No one believed that reasoning, even at the time. Now it seems that Cahill himself didn&#8217;t believe it. He was just working for &#8220;equity&#8221; and advancing &#8220;racial justice.&#8221;
This is the mainstream position among judges in America, by the way. That&#8217;s why Cahill wasn&#8217;t forced off the stage by all the judges in the room during that lecture. They all agree with him. So do voters in Minneapolis. They&#8217;ve kept electing this guy, and so he&#8217;s kept on dispensing race-based justice. Following the conviction of Derek Chauvin, Cahill oversaw the cases of every other police officer who was involved in arresting George Floyd. That includes Thomas Lane and Alexander Kueng, who helped Chauvin restrain Floyd as he resisted arrest.
This week, Cahill sentenced yet another officer who was at the scene that day, named Tou Thao. Tou Thao&#8217;s case hasn&#8217;t attracted nearly the attention that the Chauvin case did, but in many ways, the verdict and the sentence are even more egregious. If you thought that the Chauvin verdict was a gross miscarriage of justice, then you should be especially outraged by the treatment of Tou Thao — an officer who never even laid a hand on George Floyd. Chauvin shouldn&#8217;t have spent a day in jail. Thao shouldn&#8217;t have even been under investigation, let alone arrested, convicted, and sent to prison.
Tou Thao&#8217;s crime was being a police officer in the vicinity of George Floyd&#8217;s fatal overdose. That&#8217;s it. All he did was hold back the crowd as they became more agitated. You&#8217;ve probably seen the footage. Here it is:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="George Floyd original cellphone video" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ezlk9ABmol8?start=321&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The crowd gets angrier as the video goes on. At trial, prosecutors argued that, instead of waiting for EMS, Thao should have somehow checked that woman&#8217;s credentials, determined she was a firefighter, and let her &#8220;save&#8221; George Floyd. In other words, their theory of the case is that Thao shouldn&#8217;t have done his job. If he hadn&#8217;t done crowd control, they said, George Floyd might have been &#8220;saved.&#8221;
It&#8217;s preposterous. If Thao hadn&#8217;t held the crowd back, then there would have been violence — that is, violence aside from George Floyd fighting with the police officers. There&#8217;s no question about that. During Derek Chauvin&#8217;s trial, a Park Police officer who was on the scene testified that the crowd was becoming &#8220;aggressive&#8221; — to the point he was worried about the officers&#8217; safety:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Minneapolis Park Police Officer Says Crowd Was Loud &amp; Aggressive During Floyd Arrest | NBC News NOW" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mSifOMWI4Wk?start=73&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
That testimony, in addition to the video, makes it clear that Thao&#8217;s focus on the crowd was reasonable. It was reasonable for Thao to pay attention to the crowd, instead of George Floyd&#8217;s vital signs. He doesn&#8217;t have any drug to help reverse the effects of Floyd&#8217;s overdose, in any event. He did his job, which was keeping an angry mob away from other police officers, who were handling Floyd&#8217;s arrest.
So why did both the state and federal government charge Tou Thao? At his trial, the prosecution suggested some of their possible motives. They repeatedly criticized Thao for telling the mob, &#8220;Don&#8217;t do drugs.&#8221; That line, in particular, really upset politicians in Minneapolis. After all, these were the same politicians who deliberately hid bodycam footage of George Floyd saying &#8220;I can&#8217;t breathe,&#8221; multiple times, while he was in the backseat of a police car — long before Chauvin&#8217;s knee was anywhere near his neck. Remember that? Until that footage <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8576371/Police-bodycam-footage-shows-moment-moment-arrest-George-Floyd-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leaked</a> to The Daily Mail, no one saw it, because officials in Minnesota realized that it destroyed their whole narrative. So maybe that&#8217;s why they charged Tou Thao. He pointed out something forbidden, which is that Floyd killed himself by overdosing on fentanyl.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1201-race-hustler-judge-throws-cop-in-prison-for-being-in-the-general-vicinity-when-george-floyd-died-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
Or maybe Tou Thao had to be punished simply because he&#8217;s a police officer, and powerful forces in this country want to dismantle police departments at every opportunity. Throwing a cop in jail for doing his job, as Tou Thao was, would certainly help accomplish that objective. That could be why Peter Cahill convicted Thao in a bench trial. Perhaps he wanted to advance &#8220;racial equity&#8221; by discouraging any sane person from ever joining the police department ever again.
There&#8217;s probably a lot of truth to both of those explanations. But Thao&#8217;s greatest sin became obvious at his sentencing hearing this week. It&#8217;s the sin that most enrages the totalitarians in power: He refused to bend the knee. He didn&#8217;t cave to the mob. At no point did he say something he knew was false. Instead, at great personal cost, Thao quoted Scripture and told the truth, which is that he committed no crime involving the death of George Floyd. Watch what Thao said, and how Peter Cahill responds:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Ex-MPD cop Tou Thao sentencing: RAW" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AvrV1x639vw?start=1784&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
He said, &#8220;I did not commit these crimes. My conscience is clear. I will not be a Judas nor join a mob in self-preservation or betray my God.&#8221; What you just heard and saw there is real heroism, true courage. This is not a man facing a Twitter mob — and we’ve seen how most people don’t even have the guts to stand against that. This man is facing years in prison. His life and freedom are on the line. And still he chose not to grovel, not to confess to crimes he didn’t commit, not to apologize for things he didn’t do. Instead he spoke about his love of Christ, and the value of truth. Watching that, you might be reminded of the end of &#8220;The Crucible,&#8221; when John Proctor refuses to sign the false confession and chooses to face the gallows instead. That’s the level of heroism. And if we lived in a sane society, there would be a movie made about Tou Thou and his courage in the face of political persecution.
You don&#8217;t have to imagine how infuriating Thou&#8217;s words were to worshippers of Saint George Floyd. You can just look at how Judge Cahill reacted. Notice his slimy, smug little smirk, as he tells the defendant that he wanted to hear &#8220;less preaching,&#8221; and more false confession. Notice how utterly impressed with himself Cahill is. How much fun he is having as he throws an innocent man’s life away. Judge Cahill is a truly evil man, and he barely bothers hiding it. Of course, he doesn&#8217;t mean it when he says he wants to hear &#8220;less preaching.&#8221; In fact, Peter Cahill wants to hear the kind of preaching he does in his spare time, when he&#8217;s talking to other judges. He wanted Thao to talk about racial justice and equity and affirmative action. He wanted Thao to speak in praise of the Messiah George Floyd, not Jesus Christ.
But Tou Thao didn&#8217;t go along with it. He didn&#8217;t accept the prosecutors&#8217; hagiography of George Floyd. Instead, he honored God. He said what everyone knows is true. And for that, Peter Cahill sentenced him to nearly five years in prison. All the major news outlets wrote up pieces attacking Thao. The AP called him &#8220;unrepentant.&#8221; He was rambling during the hearing, they said.
They all know it was a show trial. They know he didn&#8217;t break any laws by holding back the crowd. But they also know that once they made George Floyd a saint, they had to punish anyone who blasphemed him. And Thao, during both his trial and his sentencing, blasphemed George Floyd. In Minnesota, that&#8217;s the greatest crime imaginable. It&#8217;s even worse than, say, raping children. That&#8217;s not an overstatement, by the way. This year, prosecutors in the state ensured that a man who raped girls between the ages of 4- and 9-years-old <a href="https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/rochester-man-given-180-days-in-jail-for-raping-juvenile-females" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> a sentence of just 180 days in jail. Tou Thao got half a decade.
Judges like Peter Cahill would probably call the sentence of the pedophile a win for &#8220;racial justice,&#8221; based on the skin color of the suspect. This is the system of equity that&#8217;s replaced the rule of law in this country, for the most part without any resistance. Unlike the leaders of the supposed opposition party in Washington, who march in BLM rallies and fall over themselves to commemorate &#8220;Juneteenth,&#8221; Tou Thao refused to regurgitate the lies that are the foundation of this godless and deadly movement. For that, his conscience is clear. Unfortunately there aren&#8217;t many people in power who can say the same.

Matt Walsh 1

Race Hustler Judge Throws Cop In Prison For Being In The General Vicinity When George Floyd Died

Matt Walsh

Derek Chauvin was tried in a Minneapolis courthouse surrounded by barbed wire, concrete block, two armored personnel carriers, and a squad of national guard troops, with <a href="https://www.startribune.com/chauvin-trial-cost-hennepin-county-3-7-million-for-security-other-expenses/600078744/." target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds of additional troops</a> stationed throughout Minneapolis, all of which were there for one reason — to quell a riot if the jury acquitted him.  
Would you want to be tried before a jury bracing for a riot if it acquitted you? No one would and the Bill of Rights Sixth Amendment guarantee to a “fair trial” should prevent such a spectacle. However, that did not happen in Derek Chauvin’s case. Chauvin is now seeking to have the Supreme Court find his trial violated the Sixth Amendment and order that Chauvin be re-tried in a community which would not break out into riots if the jury acquitted Chauvin.  
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died while Chauvin and three other Minneapolis police officers attempted to arrest him. Presumably everyone reading this article knows who Derek Chauvin is and what happened on May 25, 2020. As one juror testified, “you have to live in cave not to know what happened.” However, there are details of what happened that were not widely reported in the media. For instance, the Minneapolis Police Department trained its officers to use the restraint technique Derek Chauvin and the other officers used in restraining Floyd. Below is a photograph of the technique from the Minneapolis police training manual:
<div id="attachment_599557" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-599557" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-599557 size-medium" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Police-training-300x227.png" alt="" width="300" height="227" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Police-training-300x227.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Police-training.png 512w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Minneapolis Police Training Manual</div>
When Derek Chauvin’s attorney tried to introduce this photograph into evidence, the state objected arguing there was no evidence Chauvin was trained on this technique and the court sustained the objection. However, whether Chauvin was trained on this technique was irrelevant – the issue was whether the technique is an acceptable use of police technique to restrain a suspect and it is.  
Virtually the day after Floyd’s death, the slogan “Get off our necks” went viral creating the narrative that Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck with such force that Chauvin’s knee choked off Floyd’s trachea causing Floyd to die of suffocation. That narrative is false and the state admitted it at trial. The state’s medical expert – and Chauvin’s medical expert – agreed: Floyd died of a cardiac arrhythmia – his heart was beating so irregularly that he could not get sufficient blood pumping in his body. The state’s medical expert testified the cardiac arrhythmia was caused by “positional asphyxia” – the weight of Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s back, not neck – restricted Floyd’s chest from expanding sufficiently for Floyd to breathe in enough oxygen. However, whether police officers placing their weight on a suspect’s back while handcuffed can cause someone to die from positional asphyxia has been refuted by numerous academic studies. A 2017 study — ironically co-authored by a University of Minnesota professor — concluded that scientific studies have “<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313205063_Positional_Compression_and_Restraint_Asphyxia_A_Brief_Review." target="_blank" rel="noopener">thoroughly debunked</a>” this theory.
Individuals die of positional asphyxia when they have 1,000 pounds on their back — not Derek Chauvin’s 145 pounds.  
So what else can cause a <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-arrhythmia/symptoms-causes/syc-20350668." target="_blank" rel="noopener">cardiac arrhythmia</a>? High blood pressure, 75% &#8211; 90% blockage in coronary arteries, enlarged heart, recent use of fentanyl and methamphetamine, and stress — all of which the state’s medical experts admitted Floyd exhibited when he died.
In order to convict Derek Chauvin, the jury had to believe two expert opinions the state offered: (i) Chauvin used force unreasonable for a police officer in restraining Floyd and (ii) that this unreasonable force was a substantial cause in Floyd’s death. As set forth above, these expert opinions were heavily contested at trial. Despite this, the jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for only a day. This is why the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a trial before an impartial jury is so important.
The Supreme Court has held in numerous cases that excessive pre-trial publicity can violate a defendant’s right to a fair trial. The court’s concern is that the potential juror’s exposure to pre-trial publicity — and its effects in the community — will cause the jurors to conclude the defendant is guilty before the trial even begins. Usually, the trial court will be able to ferret out such bias by questioning the potential jurors prior to trial. However, the Supreme Court has held that in some cases the pre-trial publicity — and its effects in the community — will be so overwhelming that the court must presume that the jurors will be irrevocably prejudiced against the defendant. If the court finds such a presumption exists, the court must move the case to be tried in a location which has not suffered from the effects of the alleged crime or been exposed to such massive pre-trial publicity. This is what happened with Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh — his trial <a href="https://famous-trials.com/oklacity/730-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was moved</a> from Oklahoma City to Denver, Colorado.
It is unquestionable that Floyd’s death, the riots in Minneapolis, and the state charging Chauvin arguably generated the most <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/06/george-floyd-protests-generated-more-media-coverage-than-any-protest-50-years/." target="_blank" rel="noopener">pre-trial publicity</a> in American history. Everyone saw the viral video of Chauvin and the other officers using the restraint technique pictured above. Everyone knew of the riots in the Minneapolis metropolitan area which lasted for six days and caused over <a href="https://www.startribune.com/twin-cities-rebuilding-begins-with-donations-pressure-on-government/571075592/.">$500,000,000 in damage</a> — the second-worst riots in American history.
Media in the Minneapolis metropolitan area covered Floyd’s death and Chauvin literally every day from May 25, 2020, through the April 19, 2021, guilty verdict.  More importantly, the coverage continued the false “get off our neck” theme and demonized Derek Chauvin. Thus, all of the potential jurors examined for the Chauvin trial — 131 potential jurors — said that they had been exposed to this pre-trial publicity. Many potential jurors were removed because the pre-trial publicity caused such jurors to be prejudiced against Chauvin. Ultimately, despite exposure to this pre-trial publicity, the trial court seated 13 jurors to try Chauvin. 
The pre-trial publicity made it impossible for Chauvin to get a fair trial in Minneapolis. The Sixth Amendment required the trial be moved out of Minneapolis. However, that is not the principal problem. The principal problem is that the jurors knew that their own — and their family’s &#8211; personal safety was at risk if they acquitted Chauvin. Unlike the pre-trial publicity which the jurors read about the incident, the Chauvin jurors experienced the riots because they lived in the rioted communities. The rioters’ message was clear — <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/29/george-floyd." target="_blank" rel="noopener">convict Chauvin or else</a>.
As a result, the potential jurors and seated jurors expressed concerns for their personal security if they acquitted Chauvin. The state knew this threat was not theoretical. The state deployed soldiers – not police – soldiers to protect the courthouse during the entire trial and deployed soldiers throughout the city prior to the verdict. Moreover, the threats continued after the rioting ended. Prior to trial, “protestors” <a href="https://www.startribune.com/defense-attorney-in-george-floyd-case-renews-callto-move-trial-after-protester-arrests/572774111/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assaulted attorneys</a> representing the other officers after a pre-trial hearing.
During the trial, another police incident sparked another set of riots in a Minneapolis suburb, Brooklyn Center, leading to another deployment of soldiers to quell the riots. One of Chauvin’s jurors certainly experienced this second set of riots when she returned home in the evening from the Chauvin trial because she lived in Brooklyn Center. California Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) spoke to the Brooklyn Center rioters telling them to get “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/19/politics/maxine-waters-derek-chauvin-trial/index.html." target="_blank" rel="noopener">more confrontational</a>” if the jury acquitted Chauvin. One wonders how active rioters would interpret a lawmaker telling them to get more confrontational when they are already rioting.
Despite the fact that the court attempted to maintain the jurors’ anonymity during trial, one juror’s identity was exposed and he requested the court excuse him due to concerns for his safety. The court refused despite telling the juror “your concerns [with safety] are perfectly understandable. All of us on this case whose names are out in the public understand the concerns.”
The Sixth Amendment prohibits trying a criminal defendant before a jury who has such a personal stake in the outcome of trial – if you acquit, your community will be burned and your personal safety may be at risk. While the overwhelming pre-trial publicity justified moving Chauvin’s trial out of Minneapolis under the Sixth Amendment, the riots and threats of implicit and explicit violence to the jurors and the community they lived in demanded it.
William F. Mohrman is an attorney practicing in Minneapolis. Mr. Mohrman is representing Derek Chauvin on his appeal.  
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Minneapolis, Minnesota. Derek Chauvin trial.

Why Derek Chauvin’s Trial Should Have Been Moved Out Of Minneapolis

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-CyW116yKs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussed the results</a> of the DOJ’s investigation into alleged racism and excessive force by the Minneapolis Police Department in the years leading up to George Floyd&#8217;s death but cited the killing of a white woman by a minority officer without mentioning their races.
In April 2021, in the wake of the murder conviction of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of Floyd, Garland announced he was launching an investigation into &#8220;potentially systemic&#8221; problems inside the department.
“We found that MPD unlawfully discriminates against black and Native America people in its enforcement activities,” Garland said. “Such conduct is deeply disturbing and it erodes the community’s trust in law enforcement.”
Although Garland cited other pre-Floyd cases, he also mentioned the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk, 40, a dual U.S.-Australian citizen who called 911 to report a <a href="http://www.nbc26.com/news/national/australian-woman-in-minneapolis-fatally-shot-by-police-officer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible sexual assault</a> behind her home. And while Garland did not cite Ruszczyk&#8217;s death as an example of racism, he also failed to note in his public comments that she was white and the police officer who killed her, Mohamed Noor, was a person of color. Noor was initially convicted of murder, but the charge was downgraded to manslaughter after an appeal.
“MPD officers discharge firearms at people without assessing whether the person presents any threat let alone a threat that would justify deadly force,&#8221; Garland said, citing the shooting of Ruszczyk as an example.
The case shocked the nation three years before Floyd&#8217;s death. Although police were not wearing body cameras, as police in Minneapolis have to manually turn them on, witnesses told police that police officers arrived at 11:30 p.m. Saturday night. The sequence of events was captured, in part, by police radio.
Ruszczyk approached the police car in her pajamas and addressed the driver when Noor reportedly pulled out his gun and shot her through the driver’s door. <a href="https://archive.ph/R2s1J" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to one source</a>, when Noor opened fire, his partner was &#8220;stunned.”
Noor, who faced a maximum 12.5-year prison sentence, later asked the court for a sentence in which he would serve two weeks in prison each year. The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7110545/US-police-officer-facing-prison-murdering-Justine-Damond-offers-spend-just-TWO-WEEKS-jail.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a> reported that Noor’s attorneys suggested that Noor serve one week in a low-security prison annually to “honor” her birthday and one week to mark her day of death.
“This sentence honors the memory of Ms. Rusczcyk and allows Mr. Noor to continue to serve the city,&#8221; they wrote. &#8220;Just as importantly, it mandates that Mr. Noor will continue to consider his action and the great loss they caused.”
Ruszczyk was set to marry American businessman Don Damond, 50, in August 2017.
Three days after his daughter’s death, John Ruszczyk issued a statement calling for the truth about the incident to come to light and justice to be administered. He said:
&#8220;We thought yesterday was our worst nightmare, but we awoke to the ugly truth, and it hurt even more. Justine, our daughter, was so special to us, and to so many others,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We went down to the beach this morning, and saw the blackness change to light. Justine was a beacon to all of us. We only ask that the light of justice shine down on the circumstance of her death.
Ruszczyk’s fiancé, Don Damond, stated tearfully, “The death of Justine is a loss to everyone who knew her. She touched so many people with her loving and generous heart. She was a teacher to so many in living a life of openness and kindness.”
Related:
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-father-australian-woman-killed-somali-police-hank-berrien">WATCH: Father Of Australian Woman Killed By Somali Police Officer in Minneapolis Demands Justice</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-cop-who-shot-woman-death-asks-sentence-hank-berrien">Minneapolis Cop Who Shot Woman To Death Asks For Sentence Of Two Weeks In Jail Each Year</a>

Garland Decries Racism, Excessive Force On Minneapolis Police Force, Cites Key Case Without Noting Victim Was White

Merrick Garland

Racism

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minneapolis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minneapolis</a> City Council advanced a bill on Thursday that will permit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/islam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Islamic</a> prayers to be broadcasted across the city as many as five times per day.
Members of the City Council unanimously approved <a href="https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/FileV2/30594/Noise-Violation-Exemption-Ordinance.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">amendments</a> to noise ordinances such that mosques can transmit calls to prayer with “amplifying equipment,” striking a provision that restricted the activity “between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.” Islamic worship centers will now be able to broadcast the calls to prayer as late as 11:00 p.m. and as early as 3:30 a.m., according to a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minneapolis-city-council-oks-expansion-of-hours-muslim-calls-to-prayer-can-be-amplified/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CBS News Minnesota.
“This is a historic victory for religious freedom and pluralism for our entire nation,” Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota Executive Director Jaylani Hussein said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/ibrahimhooper/status/1646596022099927040" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “We thank the members of the Minneapolis City Council for setting this great example, and we urge other cities to follow it.”
The new noise ordinance permits calls to prayer that last no more than six minutes in any one hour, which is the typical amount of time required for the Islamic practice, known as the adhan.
Several Middle Eastern nations famously include the calls to prayer as a facet of daily life. Muslims pray five times per day toward Mecca, the city in western Saudi Arabia from which Muhammad hailed, as one of the five central pillars of their religion.
Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey will sign the proposal, a spokesperson <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/12/minneapolis-mosques-muslim-prayer-call-first-us-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> to Axios. The largest city in Minnesota has a significant population of Somali immigrants. Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar represents the city of Minneapolis and a handful of nearby suburbs as the first Somali-American and naturalized citizen of African birth to serve in Congress.
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Minneapolis previously allowed the calls to prayer last year during Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar in which Muslims are expected to fast from dawn until sunset, according to a <a href="https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-mosques-to-broadcast-call-to-prayer-all-year-round/600159507/?refresh=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Star Tribune.
&#8220;For the faith of Christians in Minneapolis, the tolling of church bells is an affirmation of their faith and the comfort that brings that&#8217;s exactly the same purpose of adhan service for Muslims,&#8221; Minneapolis Democrat Councilmember Jamal Osman said last year. &#8220;Thousands of Muslims in Minneapolis now have their faith acknowledged the same as everyone else.”
Minneapolis Democratic Councilmembers Aisha Chughtai and Jeremiah Ellison, both of whom are also Muslims, initiated the amendment to the noise ordinances alongside Osman, according to a <a href="https://sahanjournal.com/culture-community/minneapolis-city-council-vote-ordinance-adhan-islamic-call-to-prayer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Sahan Journal. “It is really important for us at the city to approach all issues from a lens of ensuring equal access for all people, and that’s what we’ve really done here,” Chughtai remarked on Thursday. “This is an item that benefits people of all faiths.”
Muslims compose slightly more than 1% of the American population, according to <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/03/new-estimates-show-u-s-muslim-population-continues-to-grow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Pew Research Center, and are expected to supplant Jews as the nation’s second-largest religious group after Christians within the next two decades. Nonreligion is the fastest-growing religious group in the United States, according to more recent <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/12/14/about-three-in-ten-u-s-adults-are-now-religiously-unaffiliated/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Pew Research Center, with some 29% of the population self-identifying as atheistic, agnostic, or unaffiliated.

Wightman Road Islamic Cultural Society, London, U.K.

Minneapolis Allows Islamic Prayers To Broadcast Throughout The City At All Hours

Minneapolis Allows Islamic Prayers To Broadcast Throughout The City

Democrats

Islam

Religion

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin asked a Minnesota appeals court on Wednesday to throw out his conviction over the death of George Floyd.
Chauvin is currently serving a 22.5-year prison sentence that he received in June 2021 after a jury found him guilty on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin&#8217;s attorney, William Mohrman, told the court that his client&#8217;s trial should not have been held in Minneapolis.
&#8220;Our primary argument here is that this case could not be tried in Minneapolis because of the pretrial publicity which was pervasive &#8230; and also just the physical pressure on the courthouse,&#8221; Mohrman said, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/18/1149726017/derek-chauvin-appeal-murder-george-floyd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR</a>.
The attorney wrote in a brief filed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals that the trial&#8217;s intense publicity, the public unrest and riots surrounding Floyd&#8217;s death, a $27 million settlement paid by the city of Minneapolis to Floyd&#8217;s family, and other factors justified moving the trial. Mohrman also accused prosecutors of misconduct, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/derek-chauvin-appeals-conviction-in-george-floyd-murder-arguing-trial-wasnt-fair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
Attorney for Minnesota Neal Katyal said Chauvin&#8217;s trial was &#8220;one of the most transparent and thorough &#8230; in our nation&#8217;s history.&#8221; He said that Mohrman’s arguments &#8220;do not come close&#8221; to justifying tossing Chauvin’s convictions. &#8220;The evidence of Chauvin&#8217;s guilt was captured on video for the world to see,&#8221; he said, according to NPR.
Chauvin has also been sentenced to 21 years in prison for violating Floyd&#8217;s civil rights. If he were to appeal his convictions over Floyd&#8217;s death successfully, the former officer would remain in prison under the civil rights charge. Chauvin is serving each sentence concurrently at a federal prison in Arizona.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/the-greatest-lie-ever-sold">WATCH CANDACE OWENS’ EXPLOSIVE DOCUMENTARY ‘THE GREATEST LIE EVER SOLD’</a>
The former officer is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-prisons-minnesota-minneapolis-d067afde1589c5175a7b553b68f7eef0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">barred</a> from appealing the federal conviction under a plea agreement he struck with prosecutors. The agreement allowed him to avoid the life sentence he was facing if convicted. It also allowed him to move out of a Minnesota state prison where he may have been at increased risk and transfer to a federal lockup.
Chauvin was convicted of murdering Floyd as Chauvin and several other officers attempted to arrest Floyd in May 2020. Video of the arrest showed Floyd resisting officers&#8217; commands until they subdued him on the ground. Chauvin then kneeled on Floyd&#8217;s shoulders and neck for roughly nine minutes. Video of the arrest sparked unrest and riots across major American cities.

Derek Chauvin, Ex-Minneapolis Cop Convicted Of Murdering George Floyd, Files Appeal

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