Federal trial of 3 former Minneapolis police officers could cost St. Paul around $2M

Jan. 13—When the George Floyd federal civil rights trial for three former Minneapolis officers gets underway in downtown St. Paul next week, St. Paul officers will be responsible for safety outside the fence that was recently installed around the federal courthouse. It's happening at a time when COVID-19 cases have been surging and officers have been out of work.

There were 92 people in the police department, including some civilians, out sick on Tuesday. About 40 had coronavirus and another 10 were waiting for test results, according to the police department. There are around 550 St. Paul officers currently on the payroll.

"I'm not sounding the fire alarm," Assistant Chief Robert Thomasser told the City Council on Wednesday about staffing for the federal trial. "... We're going to do it, but ... I think I would be remiss if I didn't mention to the council the challenges that we're facing."

If the police department doesn't have to call in all officers to work during the trial or after the verdict, which Thomasser said "is not our plan at this point," he estimates the cost will be a couple of million dollars.

Council Member Rebecca Noecker, whose ward includes downtown, echoed the frustration previously voiced by the mayor and police chief about the trial being held in St. Paul, though Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody.

"It is at a cost not only to our taxpayers — and those are $2 million that we don't have to spend on this — but also all of those who live downtown, work downtown," she said, adding that she hopes the city will seek reimbursement from the federal government or the appropriate entity.

The police department has been planning for about two months, Thomasser said, since they received word the trial would be in St. Paul. Federal officials are in charge of security in the courthouse and on the property outside.

The focus of St. Paul police, outside the fence line, will be to "maintain public safety, to preserve the First Amendment rights of those who want to show up and express them, to protect critical infrastructure, and to prevent large scale or violent demonstrations," Thomasser said.

Council Member Mitra Jalali said she was encouraged to hear from Thomasser "that the vision for police presence is that it will be minimal, that it will be markedly different and feel markedly different from I think something that we all found to be pretty egregious in downtown Minneapolis" during the trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin last spring.

Chauvin was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges, and pleaded guilty last month to a federal count of violating Floyd's civil rights.

The federal judge presiding over the upcoming trial said this week he's concerned that attorneys, defendants or jurors could fall ill with COVID-19, as the highly contagious omicron variant has become widespread, and he urged attorneys to "move the case along."

Jury selection is to begin next Thursday. Floyd's death in May 2020 was captured on bystander video, and led to protests in the Twin Cities and worldwide and calls for change in policing.

Robert and Jackson streets, between Kellogg Boulevard and Fourth Street, will be closed beginning Tuesday and for the entire trial.

Part of the Capital City Bikeway on Jackson Street, in the block between Kellogg and Fourth, was closed when the fencing went up last week and will remain closed during the trial. Starting Tuesday, the portion of Jackson Street that is closed will be available for bicyclists and pedestrians to get through, Public Works said Wednesday.

A Hennepin County judge agreed to delay a state court trial for the former officers, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, from March, though he didn't immediately set a date.

Judge Peter Cahill in an order Monday told attorneys to agree on a new date that is within one year, and to inform the court by Sunday. Cahill said if they cannot agree, the trial will remain set for March 7.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.