The Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) has filed a complaint on behalf of Alpha News asking the Becker County District Court to authorize the release of the body and dash camera footage related to the arrest of Sen. Nicole Mitchell on April 22, 2024.
The complaint asks the Becker County District Court to authorize the release of the body and dash camera footage under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.82, subdivision 7, to shed additional light on what happened at 4:45 a.m. on April 22 in Detroit Lakes.
Controversy and public dispute have arisen because public statements made by Sen. Mitchell and her attorney describing her motives and actions appear to contradict the sworn allegations in the criminal complaint. Numerous public figures have now called for more details to know what happened that led to Sen. Mitchell’s arrest, and this lawsuit seeks those additional details.
The complaint asks for expedited treatment because of the substantial public interest at issue. So far, an ethics complaint has been filed against Sen. Mitchell, yet Mitchell has announced that she does not intend to resign and is planning to continue to act as a state senator. Important public figures such as Gov. Tim Walz have stated that this situation raises “some very serious questions [that] need to be addressed,” that answers “need to be provided very quickly here,” and that “there is a strong responsibility that elected officials are held to a high standard.”
“The public deserves to have a full picture of what happened with Sen. Mitchell’s arrest, and the camera footage of that event is crucial to a full understanding,” said Alpha News editor-in-chief Anthony Gockowski.
Read the complaint: