Lt. Bob Kroll, the president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, sent out an email to his members on Monday in which he attacked the late George Floyd as a "violent criminal" and vowed to defend the officers who were fired in the wake of his death.
In the letter, which was posted on Twitter by Star Tribune reporter Libor Jan, Kroll accuses the media of covering up for Floyd's alleged criminal past in order to attack Minneapolis police.
"What is not being told is the violent criminal history of George Floyd," Kroll wrote. "The media will not air this."
He also said he would work to reinstate the four officers who were fired last week.
"I've worked with the four defense attorneys that are representing each of our four terminated individuals under criminal investigation, in addition with our labor attorneys to fight for their jobs," he wrote. "They were terminated without due process."
Retired Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau reacted angrily to Kroll's letter and called him a "disgrace to the badge" and said that "this is the battle that myself and others have been fighting against" within police departments.
Read the whole letter below.
