MINNEAPOLIS - Calling it a boiling point for the Minneapolis African American community, supporters of Al Flowers are urging residents to stand behind him after an altercation with Minneapolis police.
Long-time community leader Spike Moss led an emotional news conference on Tuesday during which a number of leaders from the black community detailed their frustration with what they call continued discrimination, violence and brutality at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Moss called the incident that left Flowers badly injured "a vicious, savage beating of a human being in his 50s in his own home."
Police say Flowers attacked officers last weekend as they attempted to serve a warrant at his south side home to arrest his daughter. Flowers maintains he followed all instructions and simply asked to see the warrant before officers beat him savagely.
The longtime community organizer says he was hit in the head 30 or 40 times, stomped and dragged down his front steps before being thrown inside a squad car.
Police spokesman John Elder says the officer involved in the altercation with Flowers is still on active duty, but suffered bruising. His injuries were documented in the police report on the incident. Elder says those alleging racism and brutality by police have their right to free speech. Elder did not specifically address the charges.
Community leaders like the Rev. Jerry MacAfee, head of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, said what happened to Flowers is nothing new to the black community.
"Al's incident is not isolated," MacAfee told reporters Tuesday. ""Those of you who have been around here for awhile, you know we've been fighting this for quite some time. The tragedy is that the climate has not changed."
Due to "trust issues" with the department, supporters of Flowers called for an independent investigation into the alleged beating, which was granted by Mayor Betsy Hodges and Chief Janee Harteau on Tuesday night.
"Chief Harteau and I decided together that transparency and fairness for Mr. Flowers, the Police Department and the community are best served by an independent investigation," Mayor Hodges said in a news release. "We intend to identify the leader of this investigation in the coming days."
"As I have stated in the past I have the utmost faith in the abilities and professionalism of our officers in the Minneapolis Police department," said Chief Harteau in the release. "I believe an outside investigation is necessary in this case to avoid any appearance of impropriety in the handling of this investigation."
They also urged community members to pack the courtroom if Al Flowers does get charged with assaulting a police officer. At this point, the Hennepin County Attorneys Office says they have not received a case from police investigators.
Flowers himself thanked those in attendance and the greater community for the support he's received since the altercation with police.
"It's bigger than just me," he insisted. "I know we're gonna win this battle."
