Monday, October 15, 2007

I mentioned that I parked my car

in the Jerry Haaf ramp, downtown during the marathon.

I named the ramp for a reason.

Jerry Haaf deserves to be remembered.
On Sept. 25, 1992, 30-year police veteran Jerry Haaf died on the floor of the Pizza Shack restaurant in south Minneapolis after being shot in the back while on his morning coffee break. The execution-style shooting remains one of the most shocking acts of violence against an officer in Minneapolis history. Haaf's killing came during a low point in police-minority relations at home and nationally: In Los Angeles, riots followed the acquittal of police officers in the Rodney King beating trial. In Minneapolis gangs traded gunfire daily, rumors of Minneapolis police misconduct were rampant, and the police administration was at a loss for how to gain the trust of the city's minority residents. MPR News looks back at the legacy officer Jerry Haaf's death left on the city and the progress and challenges since then.

It's interesting that they quote Mike Sauro so much in the rest of the article. He had his troubles too.

Perhaps I should have highlighted the union's obit instead. Or this blog post.

There are good reasons to do all of them, but that one paragraph summary of those days is a keeper.

Things seem less dark now. And it all has to do with our reactions to the murder of Jerry Haaf. He's still serving and protecting us.

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