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By Cynthia Hoang-Duong and Marisol Franco
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Former Minneapolis Police Department union head and lieutenant Bob Kroll this month faces a policing ban after a settlement was resolved between him and plaintiffs, represented by the ACLU Minnesota, in two class action lawsuits involving Kroll’s misconduct in 2020 in his excessive use of police force against George Floyd protesters.
The terms of the settlement agreed upon prohibit Kroll from serving in several government offices for the next 10 years, including as a police officer in the Minnesota counties of Hennepin, Ramsey or Anoka.
Kroll also cannot serve in leadership positions in any law enforcement agencies in the same counties and in any position on the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training.
“This settlement achieves a much-needed goal: It takes Bob Kroll, a police leader and union head with a long history of racist and inflammatory statements, off the beat and out of police leadership in the Twin Cities metro for a decade,” said ACLU of Minnesota Legal Director Teresa Nelson.
Nelson added, “The case alleged that his actions as a de facto policymaker led to the use of excessive force against demonstrators. We hope this settlement sends the message to other police that mistreatment of people trying to assert their First Amendment rights will not be tolerated.”
Plaintiff Nekima Levy Armstrong said, “For years, Bob Kroll was allowed to engage in conduct that was divisive, unacceptable, and harmful to communities of color. While a Minneapolis police officer, Kroll allegedly engaged in violent and abusive conduct that resulted in him being named in numerous excessive force lawsuits.”
Armstrong argued Kroll’s “presence and his public statements after police killings contributed to a hostile atmosphere for communities of color and those protesting police violence. He should have been held accountable a long time ago.
“(T)his settlement agreement, which prohibits his ability to serve as a law enforcement officer in three counties and in various law enforcement leadership positions, is precisely what is needed. I’m grateful that our civil suit and our legal counsel helped make this result possible for our community.”
