St. Paul police are keeping key records under wraps from a tense Nov. 25 clash on the East Side tied to an ICE operation, declining to release body-worn camera video, internal reports or details on the chemicals officers used. The department says everything has to stay sealed while an outside review plays out, which leaves neighbors, journalists and advocates without the official paper trail that might explain why pepper balls and chemical irritants were fired on a residential block.
Records Locked Down While POST Board Probes Clash
According to the Star Tribune, the St. Paul Police Department rejected Minnesota Government Data Practices Act requests from both the newspaper and Communities United Against Police Brutality. In a Jan. 29 email, the department said the material is classified as "confidential investigative data" while a state Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training review is open.
The denial covers body-worn camera footage, written reports, and specific information about the chemical agents officers deployed that afternoon. On paper, the explanation tracks with the law; in practice, it keeps some of the most sought-after records out of public view for now.
What Went Down On Nov. 25
The confrontation started Nov. 25 on the East Side near the 600 block of East Rose Avenue, where federal agents were making an arrest and a crowd gathered to protest. As tensions rose, police and federal agents used smoke and chemical irritants to clear the street.
Video and eyewitness accounts show St. Paul officers firing pepper balls and other less-lethal munitions at protesters and journalists. Multiple photojournalists were hit, and at least one was taken to a hospital, according to the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists.
Council, Community Turn Up The Heat
City Hall did not wait long to respond. In December, the St. Paul City Council passed a resolution asking the state POST Board to investigate officers’ use of force at the scene, according to the city’s legislative record on stpaul.legistar.com.
The resolution also ordered a review of the city’s separation ordinance, which limits how much local police can cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Residents and activists, already wary of local involvement in ICE operations, have kept the pressure on and continue to demand accountability, as reported by Sahan Journal.
Why The City Says The Videos Stay Sealed
Police officials told records requesters that because the files are part of an active POST Board investigation, they fall under a carveout in state law that allows agencies to keep certain data under wraps during a civil investigation, the Star Tribune reported.
Minnesota’s Government Data Practices Act lets agencies classify civil investigative files as confidential or protected nonpublic while an investigation is pending. The provision appears in Minn. Stat. §13.39, which is now the shield the city is holding up against those data requests.
What Comes Next
City officials say a full internal review of the incident is underway alongside the state POST Board probe. Advocates and press organizations counter that keeping video and reports out of public view only delays answers about whether officers followed policy and respected press freedom, and some have signaled they may try to obtain the records through the POST process or in court, according to CBS Minnesota.
For now, neighbors on the East Side, journalists who were on the ground and council members at City Hall are all waiting to see what the POST Board or the city does next, as calls for transparency keep getting louder.
