Judge orders Minneapolis to hire more police officers after crime spike and mayor defunds police force

A judge ordered the city of Minneapolis on Thursday to hire more police officers after several residents sued over the lack of law enforcement in the face of a spike in violent crime.

The Hennepin County District Court judge ordered the Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey to "immediately take any and all necessary action to ensure that they fund a police force."

The judge gave the city until June 30, 2022, to employ at least 730 sworn police officers. They are projected to have only 669 officers after an "exodus" through retirement, resignations, and officers taking extended leave.

A majority of Minneapolis City Council members committed to defunding the police force weeks after the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police in May 2020.

Although violent crime spiked in the city, Mayor Frey agreed to cut $8 million from the police force and reroute the money to violence prevention and mental health response initiatives.

Among the residents suing for more police was Don Samuels, a former member of the Minneapolis City Council.

"We have made the emotional appeal," Samuels said. "We have demonstrated the statistical uptick and now this is the legal action we are exercising because it seems as if the City Council cannot hear us and doesn't feel what we feel."

The "Defund the Police" movement gained steam during the Black Lives Matter protests, but some like New Salem Baptist Church Rev. Jerry McAfee argued that it puts people at risk from crime.

"Let's look at the facts! It has caused harm!" McAfee said to MSNBC about the "defund the police" movement.

"To defund the police right now is absolutely, positively, insane," he added.

Here's more about Minneapolis defunding police:

'To Defund The Police Right Now Is Absolutely, Positively Insane' : Minneapolis Residentwww.youtube.com

VIDEO: Left-wing militants block car of black transgender Minneapolis City Council VP; won't let it move until their list of demands is signed

Left-wing militants blocked a car in which black transgender Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins was a passenger — and wouldn't let the vehicle move until Jenkins agreed to their list of demands and signed it.

Jenkins was attempting leave a Loring Park event Sunday when the vehicle blocking took place, the Star Tribune reported.

A 23-minute video showing a portion of the incident ended with Jenkins agreeing to "leave George Floyd Square alone," support the creation of a civilian-led commission to oversee police, and call for Mayor Jacob Frey's resignation, the paper said.

But the vehicle blocking purportedly lasted about two hours.

What are the details?

Here's what led up to the vehicle blocking, according to the Star Tribune:

Activist D.J. Hooker posted the video to social media, said in an interview that he approached Jenkins after a "Taking Back Pride" event decrying police brutality. The event, according to a posting on social media, sought to prioritize the voices of people who are Black, transgender or queer. Jenkins was the first transgender woman of color elected to public office in a major U.S. city.

Hooker said he approached Jenkins to raise concerns about community groups contracted with the city to de-escalate tensions. Hooker said he grew frustrated when Jenkins told him she didn't have control over them and she wouldn't commit to leaving George Floyd Square alone, so he said they would hold a peaceful protest outside her house. Hooker said he and Jenkins argued and someone jumped between them.

Hooker said Jenkins began walking away, and he yelled, "Oh, you're gonna call the cops on me knowing ... what the cops have done to George Floyd, what the cops have done to Dolal Idd and Winston Smith and Daunte Wright."

Hooker's video begins with him narrating and complaining that Jenkins was "mean" and "rude" and that the car's driver already has called police on him and fellow militants: