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Tag: Minneapolis Police Department

  • Police Officers Attacked By Gunman After Swearing-In Ceremony In New Hope, Minn.

    Jan. 29 Editor’s Note: Updates appear at the bottom of this story . . .

    This is the early statement of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office on a shooting last night that occurred at City Hall in New Hope, Minn. New Hope has a population of about 20,000, according to its Wikipedia entry. It is a Minneapolis suburb.

    **__________________**

    January 26, 2015 (New Hope) At approximately 7:00 p.m. tonight, the city of New Hope held a swearing in ceremony for two officers with the New Hope Police Department during the scheduled City Council meeting.

    Shortly following the ceremony, at approximately 7:15p.m., an adult male entered City Hall with a gun and began firing at the officers inside the building. During this exchange, two New Hope Police officers were struck by gunfire. Subsequently, additional New Hope Police officers who were on scene returned fire, killing the lone suspect.

    Both officers who were shot were transported to a local hospital and are receiving medical attention. They are both expected to survive their injuries.

    The identity of the suspect will be released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.

    No further information will be available at this time.

    The incident is under investigation by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

    **__________________**

    Police officers Joshua Eernisse and Adam Johnson were sworn in at last night’s meeting. Their New Hope careers appear almost immediately to have begun with gunfire directed at themselves and fellow officers. Precisely who the targets were was not immediately clear.

    The Star Tribune has a video of part of the incident, plus print coverage.

    Among the New Hope Council members attending the meeting was John Elder. After gunshots rang out near council chambers and a bullet reportedly penetrated the door, he appears to have been pressed into a most unexpected duty. Elder, according to his bio on New Hope’s website, had “worked for 21 years in law enforcement for the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeville Police Department and New Hope Police Department. He is currently a Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Minneapolis Police Department.”

    From the Star Tribune (italics added):

    New Hope City Council Member John Elder, a former police officer and currently a public information officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, appears in the video, behind the council desk with his gun drawn and pointed toward the door to the chambers. The audio on the video then goes silent.

    Elder and others were eventually escorted to safety nearby.

    The motive for the attack is unclear.

    Jan. 29 updates: The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office has identified the wounded officers as Joshua Eernisse and Beau Schoenhard, saying they are out of the hospital. Eernisse formerly worked as a police officer in Mason City, Iowa, and is one of the New Hope officers who’d just been sworn in. Schoenhard has been with the New Hope force since 2008.

    KARE has identified the deceased shooter as Raymond Kmetz, 68. NBC News, meanwhile, is reporting that Kmetz was armed with a “pistol-grip shotgun” whose serial number had been “scrubbed off.”

    From NBC News: “The Minnesota man who opened fire during a police swearing-in ceremony this week, wounding two officers, had a history of mental illness and was on the state’s list of people prohibited from owning a gun, authorities said Wednesday.”

  • Trevor Cook Allegedly ‘Refused’ To Cooperate With Ponzi Receiver; Security Guards Posted At Van Dusen Mansion In Minneapolis

    A Minnesota man accused of operating a Ponzi scheme with Christian radio host Pat Kiley is not cooperating with the court-appointed receiver in the case and might have spent $30,000 on “gift cards” after the SEC and CFTC brought twin actions last month, according to the receiver.

    The receiver, R. J. Zayed, described efforts to locate and claim assets tied to the alleged $190 million fraud as an international paper chase.  On Dec. 21, Zayed said, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recognized his appointment by a U.S. federal judge and granted him power over receivership assets in Canada.

    Zayed said he was able to take control over a Cook property in Rainy River. Some investors said Cook had purchased a two-person submarine on eBay for $40,000 to access the island property, but Zayed did not mention the submarine in his initial receivership report to U.S. District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis.

    “Based on the Receiver’s Canadian authority, the Receiver obtained a Certificate of Pending Litigation that has been filed against the property in Canada to prevent its transfer without the authority of the Receiver. In addition, the Receiver is in the process of obtaining the three necessary appraisals to sell the property.”

    The situation involving land in Panama upon which a casino was planned is less clear because of litigation filed against receivership assets in the Central American country by Oxford FX Growth, one of the relief defendants named in U.S. litigation.

    “Prior to the appointment of the Receiver, Relief Defendant Oxford FX Growth, L.P. secured Panamanian counsel and filed a lawsuit in Panama in an effort to prevent the sale of the real estate in Panama that was acquired with funds of the Receiver Estates,” Zayed said. “The Receiver has taken control of the Panamanian lawsuit, including the costs of litigation.”

    Zayed said he had been in contact with legal counsel for Oxford FX Growth, and learned that four of five pieces of property had been “successfully attached” and secured by a bond in the amount of $200,000.

    He also learned that Oxford FX Growth had filed a local claim in Panama against Cook, Gary Saunders and Holger Bauchinger for $12 million and that lawyers in Panama are attempting to perfect service.

    The Cook/Kiley investigation is among a number of Ponzi probes in Minnesota. Like other Ponzi cases, it has included spectacular allegations that investor funds were diverted to acquire expensive automobiles and real-estate. Among the assets frozen in the case is the landmark Van Dusen Mansion at 1900 LaSalle Ave. in Minneapolis.

    Zayed said he took control of the mansion and secured its furnishings and equipment on Nov. 24, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshal’s Service and the Minneapolis Police Department.

    “Trevor Cook, Patrick Kiley, Graham Cook and Marc Trimble were found on and escorted from the premises without being allowed to remove any property (except for Patrick Kiley who was allowed to take his personal clothing and toiletries with him),” Zayed said.  “All exterior locks were changed and security guards were posted to safeguard the property.”

    He added that he found 41 computer hard drives and other media at the mansion and that they were “forensically copied.” Meanwhile, 21 computer hard drives and other media were found at a separate property at 12644 Tiffany Court in Burnsville, Minn. The data was copied, the premises and furnishing were secured, locks were changed and guards were posted.

    To date, Zayed said he has seized six cars — a 1989 Rolls Royce; a 1985 Pontiac Fiero;  a 1989 Mercedes 420 SEL; a 1998 BMW Z3; a 2000 Lexus; and a 2004 Audi RS6 — and “has identified additional vehicles that may be subject to the Receivership.”

    Cook, he said, “has asserted the Fifth Amendment privilege and refused to cooperate with the Receiver.” Zayed also asserted that Cook might have depleted receivership assets after the SEC and CFTC brought their respective cases.

    “In December, the Receiver received information that Mr. Cook had been purchasing gift cards in large denominations,” Zayed said. “As a result of this information, Mr. Cook turned over approximately $30,000 in gift cards and now faces Motions brought by the SEC and CFTC for a Rule to Show Cause as to why he should not be held in contempt of the Court’s asset freeze orders.”

    A hearing on the motions is set for Jan. 8.

    Zayed said he has been receiving “30 to 60” calls from investors each day. He established a website for information.

    See Cook/Kiley Receivership website.

    U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota also has established a Cook/Kiley website.