03/25/1976 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

March 25, 1976 The special meeting of the Lino Lakes City Council was called to order at 8:00 P.M. by Mayor Bohjanen. Council members present; Karth, McLean, Schneider, Zelinka. Mr. Locher was also present. Mayor Bohjanen noted this meeting is for the express purpose of hearing information relative to the complaint of Mr. and Mrs. John Webster. A petition with approxi- mately one hundred signatures asking for the removal of Chief Myhre and Sgt. Costa for using bad judgement had been presented to Mayor Bohjanen at the March 22, 1976 Council meeting. The Mayor requested the Clerk to read the heading on the petition. Chief Myhre made the following remarks relative to the charges. The charges on the petition only cite 'bad judgement' with no specific charges listed; only 94 persons on the petition live in Lino Lakes; only 64 are registered voters; quite a few of the names listed are persons who have had dealings with the Police Department. Chief Myhre cited the number of incidents the Police Department have handled and the many cases that have been solved. He felt the Department is run efficently and the incidents are handled correctly. Mr. John Webster presented their side of the incident and the reasons for the pet- ition. There was a difference in the length of time Mrs. Webster was detained. Cheif Myhre said the time is recorded on tape at Central Communications - it can be checked. When Mr. Webster had concluded his statement, Mayor Bohjanen asked if any one had any comments. Chief Myhre explained why the Lino Lakes Police Department was at the location and for what purpose, The stopping of the Webster car was handled in the normal proc- edure for any department involved with a possible felony suspect. There was discussion on the wearing apparel of Mrs. Webster, the fact the weather was bad and there was poor visibility, the location of the driveways and the common driveway of two of the buildings. Mr. Zelinka read an article from a Texas paper citing an incident where the wrong apartment had been forcibly entered and searched for drugs. There was no legal action planned against the officers who participatedin this action; it stated they simply made a mistake. Chief Myhre quoted the State Statutes that supported the action they had taken. He apologized to Mr. &Mrs. Webster but felt they had acted in accordance with the law and relevant to the situation. Mr. Webster asked why he had not been called and Sgt. Costa said there was one civ- ilian on the scene and they did not want any one else involved in what could be- come a dangerous position. Chief Myhre was asked if he knew Mrs. Webster, why was she held? He said he knew who she was but he was instructed by the Anoka County Sheriff's office to hold and they would advise. Mr. Zelinka noted that evenif this person had been the Chief's brother, he couldn't have let him go. Mr. Schneider said the petition says 'several' incidents, what are the others? Mr. Webster cited an incident with a motor home that occurred in 1973. Chief Myhre presented his side of the incident, and the advise he had given to Mr. Webster.