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A28 US NEWS
Dialuna 14 Februari 2022

Barely in job, new chief feels heat from Amir Locke shooting

(AP) - Minneapolis Po- respond to a request to in- public with his opposition to
lice Chief Amelia Huff- terview Huffman. In a 2019 her comments and had been
man was taking questions interview with a Minne- warned before.
about the fatal shooting apolis weekly, Huffman, of
of 22-year-old Amir Locke Springfield, Ohio, described Arradondo, who is Black, had
when a reporter chal- studying constitutional law at worked with Frey on a raft
lenged the police account Smith College before joining of policy changes aimed at
that Locke’s gun was the police department. overhauling the department’s
pointed toward officers policies and culture follow-
serving a search warrant. John Swenson, the direc- ing Floyd’s death. He also
Huffman’s attempt to ex- tor of public safety in Lino came out publicly against a
plain was too much for Lakes, Minnesota, worked voter referendum in Novem-
one local activist. with Huffman in Minneapo- ber to replace the department partment and considers the businesses in the Uptown
lis’ Internal Affairs division with a new public safety unit, interim chief’s handling of neighborhood, within the
“ This is what I would call the for about a year in the early which was defeated. But soon Locke’s death confirmation precinct Huffman oversaw.
anatomy of a cover-up,” Ne- 2000s. Both sergeants, they after, he announced he would of that fear.
kima Levy Armstrong said, handled investigations within retire anyway. Jill Osiecki, executive direc-
striding forward to confront the department and for agen- When Huffman was made tor of the Uptown Associa-
Huffman and Mayor Jacob cies that needed an outside Reaction to Huffman’s inter- inspector of the Fifth Pre- tion, said those attacks were
Frey at the news conference. perspective. im appointment was largely cinct spanning southwest “catastrophic” for some busi-
“Amelia, you’re saying you muted, with Levy Armstrong Minneapolis, the city was still nesses and credited Huffman
want to be the chief. Then act He recalled teaming with her and other activists saying they reeling from the 2017 fatal for making one-on-one vis-
like it. ... Don’t cover up for on an investigation into an didn’t know her well. Much shooting of Justine Ruszczyk its to each affected place and
what those cops did.” allegation of sexual assault of the anger since Locke’s Damond by a police officer. never rushing those conver-
against a police officer in ru- death has focused on the In the 2019 interview on tak- sations.
The exchange underscores ral Minnesota. Huffman’s department for executing a ing that new position, Huff-
the fraught situation that compassion while interview- no-knock warrant — Locke’s man pledged that she and of- Huffman became part of Ar-
Huffman — named inter- ing both the victim and the parents said body-camera vid- ficers in the area would focus radondo’s leadership team in
im chief just weeks ago and suspect as well as her atten- eo suggested Locke had been on being out in the commu- February 2021 as a deputy
a candidate to take the job tion to detail stuck out, he startled awake and then “ex- nity, creating low-pressure chief overseeing professional
permanently — faces as she said. ecuted” by officers swarming opportunities to get to know standards, including training.
attempts to steer a depart- into the apartment — and for people. Her interim chief appoint-
ment in tatters since George While homicide chief in its initial account of events, ment was announced in De-
Floyd’s killing 20 months ago 2007, Huffman, who is including a news release that But she was also focused on cember and she took over on
shattered community trust. white, clashed with a high- called Locke a “suspect” even bread-and-butter policing, Jan. 15.
profile Black investigator though he wasn’t named in saying residents were un-
Huffman, who joined the over her public suggestion the search warrants. likely to see major changes Frey credited her with steer-
department in 1994, built a that a man’s murder was con- in priorities and specifically ing the department’s adop-
wide-ranging resume before nected to a drug purchase — For the activists, those ac- listed a focus on drug and tion of training that empha-
Frey tapped her to replace upsetting the victim’s family tions fit the pattern of a de- property crimes including sizes officers’ responsibility
the retiring Medaria Arra- and the investigator. partment focused on protect- burglary and theft. to intervene when a coworker
dondo. Huffman investigat- ing its own. is putting someone in danger
ed financial crimes, crimes Then-Chief Tim Dolan Floyd’s murder put the and reforming its field train-
against children and Internal backed Huffman and trans- Michelle Gross, president city’s police force under a ing officer program.
Affairs cases, served as a de- ferred the sergeant to an- of Communities United microscope again the fol-
partment spokeswoman and other department. Dolan Against Police Brutality, lowing year. While many Asked about activists’ calls to
commanded units including said in an interview that the said she initially questioned large protests in Minneapo- fire Huffman, Frey stood by
Homicide. investigating sergeant un- whether Huffman had the lis remained peaceful, some her this week without any
A police spokesman didn’t dermined Huffman by going ability to transform the de- people looted and vandalized commitment for the future.

From campus to Congress, colleges urged to end legacy boost

(AP) - America’s elite col- Harvard students found that gained support from some nudge. But at some of the white men.
leges are facing growing 60% oppose it. Hundreds of conservative activists who most selective colleges, stu-
calls to end the decades- students and alumni across want college admissions to be dents with family ties make “By perpetually giving ad-
old tradition of giving an 30 colleges have promised to based on merit alone. up 10% to 20% of the latest vantages to their descen-
admissions boost to the withhold financial donations incoming class, according dants, we’re ensuring that
children of alumni — a over the issue. Legacy preferences give an to data released by colleges those who were systemically
practice that critics say is extra boost to predominant- in response to an Associated favored continue to be fa-
rooted in racism and be- Civil rights groups are in- ly white and wealthy legacy Press request. vored,” said Fuad, 20, who
stows an unfair advantage creasingly adding their sup- students, while “leaving out leads a student group that’s
to students who need it port, including the American millions of Black and brown On many campuses, the op- challenging the practice at
least. Civil Liberties Union, which kids,” said Rep. Jamaal Bow- position is being led by stu- Brown.
is tackling legacy preferences man, D-N.Y., a sponsor. dents of color and those who
Fueled by the national reck- as part of a campaign against are the first in their families
oning with racial injustice, systematic racism. “There has been a shift in the to attend college. They say
opponents say they are gain- consciousness of the country legacy status is one more ad-
ing momentum in the battle And a bill in Congress aims around issues of inequity and vantage for students who are
over the contentious policy to eliminate the practice. inequality,” Bowman said in already more likely to have
of legacy preferences. an interview. “There’s a real access to tutoring, test prep
The proposal from Demo- yearning to right the wrongs and other help applying to
Ivy League students are crats would outlaw prefer- of our past.” college.
pressing administrators to ences for children of alumni
abandon the policy. Yale’s or donors at colleges that In the heavily guarded world Zoe Fuad, a junior at Brown
student government took a receive federal money. It’s of college admissions, it’s University, said it reinforces
stance against the practice in being pushed by the party’s hard to know exactly how a “cycle of inequity” that was
November. A recent vote of progressive wing but has many legacy students get a designed to serve wealthy