St. Paul police remain mum about Marcus Golden shooting

More than 36 hours after St. Paul police shot and killed 24-year-old Marcus Golden, the St. Paul Police Department has yet to release many details about what happened.

That's a difference approach from many other departments across the country that release information more quickly.

Backstory: Suspect shot and killed by St. Paul Police ID'd as Marcus Golden

Police said Golden drove his vehicle at responding officers and added that officers found a gun at the scene. But they've yet to say if the gun belonged to Golden, if he held it, or if he fired it.

Those are pieces of information former Minneapolis Police Chief Tony Bouza said should have been released by now.

"There are certain, some superficial elements that could be revealed," Bouza said. "Was he armed? Have they traced the gun? You know, you can't just release the negatives relating to the deceased."

Golden has a history that includes a weapons conviction, and he had a restraining order against him from the father of an ex-girlfriend who said he repeatedly broke windows at his home and made threats.

Bouza says the community shouldn't assume police were in the wrong in shooting Golden, but adds that not being up front with details weakens trust between officers and the community.

"I'm not suggesting the St. Paul police was wrong, and I'm not suggesting the deceased was an angel," Bouza says. "I'm suggesting the police have an affirmative responsibility to inform the public on a timely basis or they lose the trust. Period."

It's that lack of trust that brought in the NAACP so early yesterday, asking for transparency and an independent investigation into the shooting.

"What's wrong with an independent inquiry?" Bouza says. "Why can't the Department of Justice investigate the case?"