Mayor Frey apologizes to family, asks for investigation into botched raid

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has apologized to a family who was terrorized during a no-knock warrant raid in February because law enforcement had the wrong address, and is now asking for an investigation into the "horrible mistake."

The apology comes following a KARE 11 investigation published last week that found Minneapolis police requested a raid on the wrong address, with KARE saying "some basic checking could have prevented the wrong-address raid." The intended target, an armed robbery suspect, had left that address nearly a year earlier, and his current address "was easily available in court records."

"This type of obvious breakdown in process and horrible mistake is unacceptable. Period," Frey said in a statement sent to Bring Me The News. "I reached out directly to Bianca Mathias earlier today to apologize to Jaiselle and her and hear directly what they experienced."

Frey has asked for an internal affairs investigation into what happened, and that officers who failed to do "basic levels of due diligence prior to the warrant's issuance are held accountable."

In November, Frey and the Minneapolis Police Department announced a new policy that ended no-knock warrants (except in exigent circumstances). In his most recent statement however, the mayor noted the policy doesn't govern how Anoka County's SWAT team conducts itself. 

"This case highlights the need for consistency across local governments – especially amid sensitive multi-jurisdictional operations – when it comes to how and when to execute these warrants," Frey added. 

You can read KARE 11's full investigation and the news station's follow-up story on the botched raid here and here. 

Here's Frey's full statement: 

“This type of obvious breakdown in process and horrible mistake is unacceptable. Period.

“I reached out directly to Bianca Mathias earlier today to apologize to Jaiselle and her and hear directly what they experienced.

“Our new policy requires MPD officers to announce their presence and purpose prior to entry, effectively ending ‘no-knock’ warrants, outside of exigent circumstances in the City of Minneapolis. That policy does not govern how the Anoka SWAT team conducts itself.

“Minneapolis’ more restrictive policy ends at our borders and other jurisdictions do not have to comply with our standards when executing warrants, as approved by the courts in Minnesota. This case highlights the need for consistency across local governments – especially amid sensitive multi-jurisdictional operations – when it comes to how and when to execute these warrants.

“I’ve directed an internal affairs investigation be opened to ensure a thorough review of the facts and that any officers who failed to do basic levels of due diligence prior to the warrant’s issuance are held accountable.”