Officials sued to keep gangs from State Fair: What happens if they show up anyway?
MN State Fair: Ramsey Co. attorney discusses safety plan
FOX 9's Emily Pofahl spoke to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi about efforts to keep the Minnesota State Fair safe by keeping gang members away.
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Posts on social media tipped Ramsey County Sheriff's deputies off about a planned violent confrontation at the Minnesota State Fair, and officials moved quickly to shut it down in court.
But what happens if they show up anyway?
Lawsuit targets two rival gangs
What we know:
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit to block two gangs — Muddy and The Ville — from attending the Minnesota State Fair after social media posts advertised a planned violent confrontation between the two groups. Officials also pointed to recent shootings in St. Paul, including one at a Metro State graduation ceremony, as evidence of the gangs' involvement in violence near the fair.
"They were going to literally have fights here," Choi said in an interview with FOX 9 Wednesday.
The lawsuit sought to keep alleged gang members out of a "safety zone" covering the fairgrounds and some surrounding neighborhoods. Choi said the legal move was about getting ahead of the problem.
"We've chosen to be preventative instead of just waiting for something bad to happen," said Choi.
In stipulations filed last week, eight men, who are identified by prosecutors as members of the Muddy and The Ville gangs, have agreed not to attend the State Fair or enter the safety area.
If the members abide by the agreement, the Ramsey County Attorney and AG's office have agreed to dismiss them from the lawsuit.
Gang violence concerns at Minnesota State Fair
The Great Minnesota Get-Together is officially underway, but before it began Ramsey County authorities took several steps to curb any potential gang violence. FOX 9’s Emily Pofahl talks about the latest precautions being taken this year.
What they're saying:
Choi, Ellison and Minnesota State Fair Police Chief Ron Knafla held a press conference to discuss how the court orders would be enforced. Knafla said State Fair police are "sensitive" to not interfering with anyone's rights or anyone who is simply at the fair to enjoy it. He said they would rely on specialized deputies with Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, who know the alleged members, to make the identification and make the arrest.
If any law enforcement officer on the fairgrounds believes they have spotted an alleged gang member, they are required to first notify a specialized deputy. Officials confirmed they are not using facial recognition technology.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher also sent a warning letter to 233 people whose names surfaced in an investigation into 12 gangs operating in the metro. The letter read: "Please be aware that if you attend the Minnesota State Fair in the company of persons known to us as members of criminal gangs your association with them will be documented for potential future prosecution."
"There's other folks that are maybe tangentially involved as… A connection to the Ville or to Muddy or to some of the other kind of subgroups that exist," Choi said.
How the court order breaks down
Dig deeper:
The two remaining individuals, both alleged members of the Muddy gang, either did not appear in court or contested the allegations.
The Ramsey County District Court granted the state's request to prohibit them from associating with other known gang members, confronting or intimidating anyone at the fair and using gang signs at the fair or within the safety zone. Those two are not strictly barred from attending the fair. The court also ruled that the Muddy gang is a criminal gang.
It remains unclear whether all alleged gang members will follow the court orders. When asked whether gang members could be counted on to abide by the ruling, Choi said: "It'll be enforced against them if they do."