MINNEAPOLIS — KARE 11 has confirmed that the Minneapolis Police Department has parted ways with an officer whose controversial hiring raised questions earlier this year.
Tyler Timberlake was no longer employed by MPD as of July 5, though the reason for his departure was not made public.
Timberlake was previously charged with three misdemeanor counts of assault and battery in 2020, for an arrest he made as an officer in Fairfax County, Virginia. Body camera video of the arrest, which happened just days after the murder of George Floyd, showed Timberlake tasing an unarmed Black man twice, striking him on the head, and placing his knee on the man's back. The video caused a national outcry; however, a Fairfax County jury later found Timberlake not guilty in 2022.
Despite Timberlake’s acquittal, MPD Chief Brian O'Hara told KARE11 in April that the body camera video alone immediately raised concerns for him. He added that the incident should have been flagged in the hiring process, and ordered a full investigation into the department's hiring practices.
"The individual in question will not be deployed or serve in a law enforcement capacity in any way until we conclude a full investigation into this matter," O'Hara said in a statement in April. "We will get to the bottom of this and take whatever measures are necessary to ensure we are always hiring officers who meet our standards and that we are ultimately placing only the most qualified and competent police into the service and protection in the City of Minneapolis."
On Thursday, a Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson refused an interview request for Chief O'Hara and, after saying the department would release a statement, eventually declined comment entirely. MPD has not said whether Timberlake was fired or if he resigned.
The Minneapolis Police Federation characterized Timberlake's departure as a decision by Chief O'Hara.
"It is truly unfortunate Chief O’Hara released Officer Tyler Timberlake from employment from the police department," the Federation said in a statement. "Chief O’Hara was in the final interview of Timberlake and was fully aware of his history. During his final interview, he was assured by Chief O’Hara he would be okay, if he did good work. This is clearly not the case."
The Federation went on to say:
"The hiring of Timberlake was not an issue until an April 19th news article created a politically charged narrative of his hiring, which, grew in intensity, when Chief O’Hara stated 'I am extremely concerned about what I have just learned pertaining to the hiring of this individual who is currently in agency training and yet to be deployed into service'. By all MN POST standards, nothing precludes Timberlake from being a peace officer in the state of Minnesota. He was acquitted on all charges in Virginia and remained employed for nearly three years after the incident. Releasing an officer with nearly 1,800 hours of training, years of prior experience and is qualified to work in the state of Minnesota, seems counterproductive as the police department continues to struggle to meet staffing needs and has approximately 42% less sworn officers, than what it had 3 years ago."
On Thursday, CrimeWatchMPLS social media pages shared an email sent by Timberlake to Chief O'Hara, Mayor Jacob Frey and several other city leaders on May 15th. In the email, which has been verified by KARE11 through multiple sources, Timberlake accuses O'Hara of making statements about his employment that were factually false.
"Chief O'Hara found it easier to defame me than to own the truth - which will show that he interviewed me and approved of my hire after a full disclosure of events," Timberlake wrote in the email.
When asked to respond to the accusations, both O'Hara and Mayor Frey refused to comment.
Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and activist who called for Timberlake's removal earlier this year, said she was "thrilled" that he was no longer employed by MPD.
"The reality is, we shouldn't have had to even bring these issues to the attention of the mayor and the chief," Levy Armstrong said. "My hope is they have learned their lesson after this incident and that they're willing to make the changes that are needed, so that they have a smoother, more fair, more equitable and more diverse hiring process."
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