Families of Five Men Killed by Police Secure Access to Investigative Files in $165,000 Settlement

The families of five men who were killed in police incidents in Minnesota have reached a settlement with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) regarding their lawsuit over access to the investigative files related to the fatal shootings. The settlement, valued at $165,000, was finalised on Monday, and it ensures the families will now receive full access to the case files. The BCA will also provide guidance on how the families can retrieve their relatives’ personal belongings in the future.

Attorney Paul Bosman, representing the families, explained that until now, the families had only been able to rely on police press releases, statements from police unions, and county attorney justifications for the lack of charges against the officers involved. This lack of transparency made it impossible for the families to defend the reputation of their loved ones or begin to cope with their grief.

The lawsuit, filed in November, claimed that the BCA violated Minnesota’s open records laws by withholding information regarding the shootings. Despite this legal action, prosecutors had previously cleared the officers involved of any wrongdoing in all the cases.

In response to the settlement, the BCA stated that prior to the lawsuit, it had already sought and secured additional funding from the state Legislature to enhance their data management capabilities. This funding will allow the BCA to process public information requests more efficiently moving forward.

The five men killed between 2020 and 2023 were Brent Alsleben, Dolal Idd, Zachary Shogren, Okwan Sims, and Tekle Sundberg.