Chief Harteau tours Mpls. after recent round of violent crimes

Fresh from news of her pending reappointment, Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau made the rounds of precinct houses on Sunday night.

The stops came two days after three people were killed in separate shooting incidents on the south and north sides and about two weeks after gunfire erupted downtown after bar close — leaving six people with noncritical injuries.

Before a scheduled 8:15 p.m. visit to Third Precinct headquarters on Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue S., Harteau said she was "thankful for Mayor [Betsy] Hodges having confidence in my abilities, and I look forward to working together for the next three years. Although our work is not done, I am proud of what we have accomplished thus far."

Last Wednesday, Hodges announced she was reappointing Harteau to a second three-year term. In a news release, Hodges acknowledged she was making the announcement sooner than she had planned to due to speculation regarding the chief, who was first named to the job by former Mayor R.T. Rybak.

The Third Precinct was the scene of a deadly shooting about 5 p.m. Friday in the 2200 block of 10th Avenue S. Two people were dead as a result of what police spokesman John Elder described as a "targeted, isolated incident" that was domestic in nature and was believed to pose no threat to public safety.

Two people were taken into custody, with one considered a suspect and the other in protective custody.

"Even though it's domestic," Harteau said, "people can get scared" and may not be aware of information that has been reported.

The main concern, however, for the people who met with the chief on the corner of E. 22nd Street and 10th Avenue S. was not about their own safety but, in the words of one neighbor, "the mystery of what happened." On Friday, neighbors had said they witnessed the father in the home surrendering to police.

"I will just say there were underlying things that were occurring," Harteau told the group Sunday, adding that more details could be released Monday.

Also on Friday, about 10:35 p.m., police were alerted to gunfire by the city's ShotSpotter system and found a man dead in front of a residence in the 1800 block of Newton Avenue N. A second man, who had been shot in the foot, was taken to North Memorial Medical Center.

The shooting occurred in the Fourth Precinct, where Harteau was expected to speak to investigators about 9:45 p.m.

Harteau said that homicide was an example of a case in which victims and witnesses were not forthcoming or are uncooperative. She hoped that perhaps someone would provide new evidence.

Her final stop was expected to take place about 11 p.m. at the First Precinct downtown.

About 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 12, gunfire in the area near 5th Street between Hennepin and 1st avenues injured six people and sent bar and nightclub patrons fleeing.

Joanne Kaufman, executive director of the Warehouse District Business Association, expressed frustration then to the mayor and City Council, saying in part: "Please help us before one of our employees, an innocent bystander, a sports fan, or a conventioneer is hurt or worse."

"I want to get out and show support to the officers," Harteau said of the final stop on her tour — a night, she said, that gave her the opportunity to be visible and to reassure people.

Staff writers Libor Jany and Karen Zamora contributed to this report.

Anthony Lonetree • 651-925-5036