Ex-Police Union Head Bob Kroll Banned From Policing 3 Metro Counties

MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minneapolis police union head Bob Kroll will be banned from serving as a police officer in three metro counties following a settlement between the Minneapolis Police Federation and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Under the settlement, for the next 10 years, Kroll cannot serve as a police officer anywhere in Hennepin, Ramsey, and Anoka Counties.

Additionally, Kroll cannot serve in a leadership role in any law enforcement agency in those counties, cannot serve in on the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training, and he cannot testify in any related trial.

The settlement came after two consolidated class action lawsuits were brought over police mistreatment of demonstrators during the George Floyd protests; Samaha v. City of Minneapolis and Armstrong v. City of Minneapolis.

"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," the legal director for ACLU of Minnesota, Teresa Nelson, said in a statement.

"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."

The plaintiffs were also awarded $600,000 from the city, and the city must institute police reforms under the settlement.

"For years, Bob Kroll was allowed to engage in conduct that was divisive, unacceptable, and harmful to communities of color," plaintiff Nekima Levy Armstrong said.

"While a Minneapolis police officer, Kroll allegedly engaged in violent and abusive conduct that resulted in him being named in numerous excessive force lawsuits. His 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, but this 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."