Latest news with #HennepinCounty
CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
Derrick Thompson to be sentenced in Minneapolis crash that killed 5 young women
Several Minnesota families will finally see justice served on Thursday morning after five young women were killed in a high-speed crash two summers ago in Minneapolis. A jury found 32-year-old Derrick Thompson guilty last month in the deaths of Sahra Gesaade, 20; Salma Abdikadir, 20; Sabiriin Ali 17; Sagal Hersi, 19; and Siham Odhowa, 19. The group of friends were preparing for a friend's wedding at the time of the crash. Thompson was convicted of five counts of third-degree murder and 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Law enforcement say he topped speeds of 100 mph while driving erratically on Interstate 35W on the night of June 16, 2023. A state trooper testified they were following Thompson without emergency lights activated, and saw him speed off onto East Lake Street, where he struck and instantly killed the victims. His sentencing hearing is set to start Thursday at 10 a.m. in a Hennepin County courtroom. Many of the victims' families are expected to be on hand, as they were during the trial. "It's over and the girls can finally rest in peace. Still, [Thompson] can call his mom and dad and tell them he loves them, but our daughters will never call us," said Fadumo Warsame, Gesaade's mother, following the verdict. "We're never going to see their wedding. We're never going to see our grandchildren." Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office plans to seek a lengthy sentence. "Mr. Thompson is being held accountable, and we will do everything we can to ensure that he can never do this again," Moriarty said last month. Thompson's defense argued his brother was actually behind the wheel driving. Damarco Thompson testified he wasn't in the Cadillac during the crash, and was only briefly inside when his brother rented it earlier at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Thompson was convicted of several federal drug and illegal firearm charges. His next federal court hearing is set for Aug. 25. WCCO will have a crew inside the courtroom and will bring you updates both on air and online.
Washington Post
9 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
They couldn't pay their taxes, so D.C. took it all. Unconstitutionally.
Christina Martin, a senior attorney at the law firm Pacific Legal Foundation, was the lead attorney in the Supreme Court case Tyler v. Hennepin County and is representing Juanita Powell in the constitutional challenge to D.C.'s tax foreclosure law. Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the government violates the Constitution when it takes property to pay a tax debt and keeps more than what is owed. That landmark decision affirmed the importance of private property rights.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Republican Minnesota Sen. Bruce Anderson dies unexpectedly at age 75
Longtime Republican Minnesota Sen. Bruce Anderson died unexpectedly on Monday, his GOP colleagues said in a statement. He was 75. Anderson is a U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam War, and he spent more than 30 years in the Legislature. He was first elected to the Minnesota House in 1994 before moving to the Senate following his election in 2012. He represented Wright County and three communities across neighboring Hennepin and Meeker counties. "I'm saddened to learn Senator Bruce Anderson passed unexpectedly today. Bruce was a dedicated public servant, loving family man, and dear friend to many at the Capitol and in Buffalo," said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, in a statement. "We offer our condolences and prayers for comfort for the entire Anderson family." His family has asked for privacy and will share a statement at a later time. He and his wife Ruth lived in Buffalo and together have eight children and 12 grandchildren, according to his biography on the Senate GOP website. Anderson focused on issues impacting agriculture, veterans, broadband and public safety during his time at the State Capitol. Senate Democrats in a statement said they are saddened by the loss, calling him "a great champion" for farmers and veterans. "I served with Bruce in both the House and Senate, and will fondly remember him for the way he approached this work and treated his colleagues," said Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, in a statement. "He was a decent, kind colleague, and a dedicated family man, and I feel fortunate to have known and worked with him." He joined the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school and years later also joined the Minnesota Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force Reserves. He grew up on a dairy farm in rural Minnesota. Former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, a Republican whom Anderson succeeded in the Senate, said in a post on social media that he was a mentor and a friend who "changed hearts and minds through hard work and lots of conversation" in what once was a DFL-leaning district. Gov. Tim Walz will eventually call a special election for the vacancy left by his death. It comes as there will be another special election in September for former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman's seat after she was shot in a politically motivated attack last month. There will be yet another vacancy and subsequent special election in the Senate when Sen. Nicole Mitchell resigns from office following her felony burglary conviction. Her attorney said that will happen no later than Aug. 4.
CBS News
6 days ago
- CBS News
2 men charged with illegally possessing a firearm in Boom Island Park mass shooting
Two more men have been charged in the Minneapolis mass shooting at Boom Island Park that left a woman dead and five men injured. Davion Lazarick Gaines, 23, is charged with two counts of illegal possession of a firearm, and Dechelen Chavez Mastin-Wilson, 23, faces one count of the same charge, according to court documents filed in Hennepin County court earlier this month. Officers who responded to the June 1 shooting found around 130 shell casings at the park and took DNA samples from some of those casings. Charges say one of the samples matched that of Gaines. Investigators tracked Gaines' phone records and found it was at Boom Island Park at the time of the shooting, according to charges. Gaines, a Minneapolis resident, isn't allowed to have firearms following several prior convictions, including second-degree assault and second-degree riot. Mastin-Wilson, of St. Louis Park, was one of the men shot, according to court documents. Responding officers spoke with him at the scene, where he "briefly claimed" he didn't know anything, then refused to answer questions. Investigators learned from witnesses that Mastin-Wilson was involved in an ongoing gang-related feud with two men who were at the park, charges say. One of those two men was shot and is now paralyzed. According to the criminal complaint, a witness said they saw Mastin-Wilson shooting a gun in the direction of where police found the paralyzed man. Charges say Mastin-Wilson is currently on probation in Hennepin County for illegally possessing a firearm and fleeing in a motor vehicle. Two other men have been charged in the shooting. Zyree Porter, 23, is charged with six counts of second-degree murder, and Marquez Hill-Turnipseed, 23, is facing five counts of the same charge. The woman killed in the shooting is identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner as 23-year-old Stageina Whiting of Brooklyn Center. Note: The above video first aired on July 10, 2025.
CBS News
6 days ago
- CBS News
Minnesota Capitol security officer on leave after allegedly posing as undercover cop while intoxicated at bar
A Minnesota State Capitol security officer is on leave after being charged with several crimes, including impersonating an officer. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says Cristian Orea, 39, is also charged with third- and fourth-degree DWI — a gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor, respectively — as well as a misdemeanor charge of carrying a firearm while under the influence of alcohol. The charge of impersonating an officer is also a misdemeanor. Court documents state Minneapolis police were called to Puerto Veracruzano, a bar and restaurant off East Lake Street, just after midnight Monday after security staff reported a man who identified himself as an undercover officer, and who seemed intoxicated, was trying to get inside as part of a "narcotics investigation." That suspect, Orea, had a "firearm on his belt" and showed security a cellphone picture of a badge that read "State Patrol," the complaint states. Security told the man he couldn't enter with a firearm while intoxicated, leading an "upset" Orea to allegedly accuse staff of interfering with his investigation. The complaint says Orea then intervened when two men tried to leave the bar without paying, saying — "with his hand on his firearm" — that he was an officer and could arrest them. Staff said Orea went on to show off the picture of his badge to others inside the bar, identifying himself as an officer. A security member called a Minneapolis officer they knew about the situation, who informed them Orea wasn't with his department and they should call 911, according to the complaint. Orea is then accused of fleeing the bar, with officers soon spotting him a block south in a parked vehicle. He then allegedly drove off and was eventually pulled over a few blocks away. The complaint states Orea refused to take field sobriety tests, and later blood and urine samples after a search warrant was granted, and told officers "just arrest me." A search of his cellphone yielded a receipt to a tavern off Hiawatha Avenue, noting he paid his tab about 90 minutes before arriving at Puerto Veracruzano. In a statement released to WCCO on Friday morning, Minnesota State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic confirmed Orea is a Capitol security officer and is now on leave. Below is her full statement: "The Minnesota State Patrol is committed to integrity, accountability and building and maintaining public trust. We hold all our employees to the highest ethical and professional standards, both on and off duty. Any allegation that those standards are not met is followed by appropriate action in accordance with agency policy. "The allegations contained in the criminal complaint do not reflect our core values or those who wear the Capitol Security uniform with pride. "Capitol Security Officer Cristian Orea has been placed on leave. "We remain focused on serving the public with courage, honor, integrity, excellence and a deep respect for the responsibilities entrusted to us." If convicted, Orea could face up to a year in prison. This story will be updated.
