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MALE DOWLawmaker shootings: Brooklyn Park police chief reflects
FOX 9's Paul Blume sat down with Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley, who was at the center of last weekend's attacks at the homes of two Minnesota lawmakers.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - Brooklyn Park police say their officers "acted with courage and bravery in the face of incredible circumstances" during their response to the Minnesota lawmaker shootings that left Melissa and Mark Hortman dead.
The department released a statement after the release of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) notes related to the attacks on June 14, saying the "limited timeline lacks context and raises many questions."
The notes released on Monday showed police did not enter the Hortman's home until about an hour after Melissa and Mark were fatally shot in front of officers, leading to an exchange of gunfire with the suspect.
READ MORE: Brooklyn Park police chief: Lawmaker shootings were 'An attack on our democracy'
Minnesota lawmaker shootings dispatch reports
Big picture view:
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) notes released by law enforcement document the response from officers after Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot in their Champlin home at 2:05 a.m. on June 14.
The logs also note the male suspect "HAD STATE POLICE UNIFORM ON & WHITE MASK".
Dispatch then noted, "Given this guy is a state senator, you might want to notify State Patrol so they can work on other senator notifications as they cover dignitary protection."
Brooklyn Park police were then sent to conduct a welfare check at the Hortman home.
Arriving officers then saw the suspect opening fire at 3:37 a.m., with dispatch notes stating "MALE DOWN IN DOORWAY", "SHOOTER IN THE HOUSE" and "DID NOT SEE SHOOTER COME OUT AND DID NOT SEE SHOOTER AFTER HE WENT IN HOUSE".
After exchanging gunfire with the suspect, police pulled Mark Hortman from the doorway and called for backup.
A drone was then deployed at 4:06 a.m., which reportedly located a "FEMALE DOWN IN THE HOUSE" later determined to be Melissa. The drone then cleared the rest of the house and police determined no one else was inside.
A team then entered the home at 4:37 a.m. and recovered Melissa's body, with police reporting "EXTRACTION SUCCESSFUL" at 4:40 a.m.
A statewide manhunt ensued, and the suspect was found in a field near his Green Isle residence on June 15.
READ MORE: Federal prosecutors still deciding on death penalty for Vance Boelter
Brooklyn Park police respond to ‘lack of context in recent reports'
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MN lawmakers shooting: 1-on-1 with Brooklyn Park police chief
FOX 9's Paul Blume sat down with Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley, amid calls to review Minnesota State Capitol security after the Minnesota lawmakers shooting.
What they're saying:
The Brooklyn Park Police Department released the following statement on Wednesday afternoon.
"With the recent release of the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) notes surrounding the June14th political attacks we understand this limited timeline lacks context and raises many questions. These questions are the very reason we’ve asked for an independent review of the incident in its entirety.
"We want to be clear that Brooklyn Park officers acted with courage and bravery in the face of incredible circumstances. We are unable to share valuable details and context due to the pending prosecution, civil litigation, and private medical examiner data."
READ MORE: Brooklyn Park police chief seeking after-action review of June 14 political shootings
The backstory:
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley was a personal friend of Melissa Hortman and quickly rushed to the scene of the shooting after getting a call from one of his sergeants.
"I know that the sergeant told me on the phone, like, ‘We don't know if he has taken Melissa hostage. We don't even know if Melissa's in there. We have not heard from her or seen her,’" recalled Bruley. "So, they were worried on all fronts, like, is he still in there?"
The chief strongly defended the actions of his officers while speaking to FOX 9 about a month after the shooting.
However, he acknowledged the response wasn't perfect.
"I don't know that you would ever give me a response in any critical incident where I would tell you, ‘we did it perfect,’" explained Bruley. "These are human beings wearing uniforms just like this, trying to do the best job they can. They are mothers, they are fathers. Everyone showed up that day trying to their best. And I will tell you, while it wasn't perfect, I don't know that we could do it that well again. It was done extraordinarily well."
Independent security review
What's next:
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety and local police departments have hired the International Association of Chiefs of Police to review the law enforcement response to the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers in June.
READ MORE: Minnesota lawmaker shootings: Communication delay should be audited, sheriff says
In a news release on Veterans Day, the Department of Public Safety announced it, along with the cities of Brooklyn Park, Champlin, and New Hope, and Hennepin County, had asked the International Association of Chiefs of Police to review the response to the killing of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
READ MORE: MN lawmaker shootings: Police chiefs org will review law enforcement response
The agencies expect the report to take about six months to be completed, and the agencies will pay $429,500 for the findings. The state and the county will cover the majority of the costs ($210,000 and $165,000 respectively).
The report is expected to be released publicly once completed.
The Source: This story uses statements from the Brooklyn Park Police Department, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) notes and previous FOX 9 reporting.