A misdemeanor citation issued to a black man who walked into a busy Edina street after construction closed a sidewalk will be dismissed, the mayor said.
The incident last week in the 5900 block of Xerxes Avenue S. involving Larnie Thomas, 34, of Minneapolis, and a white plainclothes police officer was
captured in a seven-minute video by a bystander
, posted online and drew heated response as it went viral.
Mayor Jim Hovland, in announcing on Sunday his decision to have the case dropped, acknowledged that “people across the country are expressing concern about how (Thomas) was treated by the Edina police” late Wednesday morning.
Hovland, whose city is overwhelmingly white and among the richest in the state, pointed out that “the officer involved was following established protocol” for how officers are to handle such situations.
“However, under the circumstances,” the mayor continued, “the City will review that protocol and determine how to better approach this type of incident with greater sensitivity in the future.”
Thomas was not taken to jail, Hovland’s statement noted, but was driven to a nearby shopping mall at his request and released.
“The citation (for disorderly conduct and pedestrian failure to obey a traffic signal) issued to Thomas will be dismissed,” the mayor’s statement read.
“We will work with the Edina community and invite other organizations to participate in this very important conversation,” the mayor added. “There are lessons we should and will learn from this experience.”
Late last week, Edina police maintained that Thomas was defiant and didn’t stop when asked to do so by an officer, who remained calm throughout the entire encounter. Police also noted that Thomas being in the street was a threat to his safety, that he had on headphones and he had been drinking.
In the video, the situation escalated quickly as Thomas became agitated and swore numerous times at Lt. T.F. Olson, questioning why he’s being detained.
Olson, who at times had a grip on the back of Thomas’ jacket, directed the man to his unmarked squad, asking him to put his hands on the car. Thomas slammed down his backpack and asked whether he’s going to jail. Olson said the situation hadn’t gotten to that point yet.
The YouTube video, which went live that same day, was quickly viewed and shared tens of thousands of times. Hundreds of comments were added to the posting from people writing that they were outraged over a black man being arrested after walking in the street because construction had closed the nearby sidewalk.
