After last month’s shootings of two state lawmakers and their spouses, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher is pressing public safety officials for answers on how they handled notifying legislators and law enforcement agencies of the ongoing threat.
In a letter to security officials at the Minnesota Capitol, Fletcher raised concerns about information sharing between law enforcement and state leaders as a man suspected of shooting lawmakers while disguised as a police officer remained at large in the early morning hours of June 14.
Fletcher said the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office did not learn of the shootings, details about the suspect, or the fact that the suspect had been targeting lawmakers until hours after the information had become available to other officials and law enforcement agencies.
“Few things are more troubling than not being informed for several hours that a murderer is roaming the northern suburbs with a “hit list” in search of his potential victims, many of whom reside in your patrol jurisdiction,” the sheriff wrote in a July 7 letter addressed to the Minnesota House Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Security Division of the Minnesota State Patrol.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety disputes Fletcher’s claims.
“This letter does not accurately represent the manner in which law enforcement responded to the tragic events on June 14,” Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said in a statement this week. “Notifications were sent to the proper parties early that morning. We’ll be discussing that in greater detail with the sheriff and the others as the investigation continues.”
Vance Boelter, 57, faces federal and state prosecution for the fatal shootings of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their home in Brooklyn Park, and shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin. Authorities captured him near his home outside Green Isle, Minn., after a two-day manhunt.
Boelter allegedly had a list of addresses for Democratic elected officials and abortion providers in his vehicle, and visited the homes of Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, and Rep. Kristin Bahner, DFL-Maple Grove. Bahner was not home at the time, and Boelter allegedly left Rest’s street after a police officer arrived.
Local police
Local police became aware of the shootings just after 2 a.m., when Hoffman’s daughter called 911, and started responding to north Hennepin County legislators’ homes. Though a widespread alert did not happen until after 3:30 a.m., when officers encountered the shooter at the Hortmans’ Brooklyn Park home.
The Department of Public Safety said teletype notifications — digital inter-agency notices — went out to metro-area law enforcement agencies: one from the Brooklyn Park Police Department at 4:25 a.m. and another from the State Patrol at 4:40 a.m.
Those notifications mentioned that the suspected shooter appeared to be impersonating a police officer and urged agencies to monitor elected officials’ residences.
Asked about the teletype notifications, Fletcher said they lacked complete information and should have included lawmakers’ addresses so law enforcement could know where to go.
He also said the notifications included a description of the suspects’ vehicle, even though the suspect had abandoned the vehicle at the Hortmans’ Brooklyn Park house after encountering police.
Calling for review
Fletcher is calling for a review of the events of June 14, possibly through a legislative audit, to answer questions about which agency should be responsible for notifying lawmakers and law enforcement of potential threats.
The biggest concern, he said, is that it’s unclear who exactly should be notifying lawmakers and state law enforcement of potential threats.
While there were various messages sent by the sergeant at arms, legislative staff, and law enforcement agencies, the level of information available in different communications was at times patchy and delayed, he said.
“I was never suggesting at the time that I wrote the letter that we need to blame someone,” Fletcher said in an interview. “In fact, my letter says we need to figure out who’s even responsible.”
A group of 150 sheriffs and police chiefs received a briefing from the Department of Public Safety on this week, Fletcher said, adding that the agency plans a review of what happened the morning of June 14.
The House sergeant at arms falls under the authority of House leadership. House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said there will be a review of the response to the shootings.
“I am grateful for the prompt and heroic efforts by law enforcement on the day of this horrific attack,” she said in a statement. “As with every major public safety incident, there will be top-to-bottom reviews of the response as well as significant work to examine improvements to safety and security measures.”
Security at Capitol
Fletcher’s letter to Capitol security and the House sergeant at arms comes as he continues to press state leaders to boost security at the state Capitol.
In a July 1 letter, Fletcher asked members of the Advisory Committee on Capitol Security, a bipartisan panel chaired by Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, to consider electronic screening of visitors.
Measures should include metal detectors or X-ray machines to screen for weapons, the sheriff wrote, telling the committee that his office would be ready to assist with any efforts.
The advisory committee so far hasn’t weighed in publicly on any specific changes at the Capitol. In June, members issued a statement saying they were committed to boosting security but stopped short of endorsing any specific measures.
