An assistant Minneapolis police chief has filed a defamation lawsuit against Alpha News, objecting to her portrayal in the Alpha News documentary “The Fall of Minneapolis.”
In the lawsuit, attorneys for Minneapolis Assistant Chief of Operations Katie Blackwell described Alpha News as “extremists.”
“This lawsuit involves the politically motivated attack on a respected member of the Minneapolis Police Department who was maliciously defamed with respect to her performance of the duties of her employment and profession by extremists who are more interested in shaping a narrative and provoking outrage than in communicating any version of truth,” they wrote.
Blackwell testified in both the state and federal trials of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Portions of her testimony—in her own words—were included in the movie. Since those trials, Blackwell has been promoted to assistant chief of operations in the Minneapolis Police Department.
The lawsuit also names “The Fall of Minneapolis” director Dr. JC Chaix and Alpha News reporter Liz Collin as defendants.
“The lawsuit is garbage. Garbage belongs in the trash,” said attorney Chris Madel, who is representing the defendants. “This lawsuit is just embarrassing for the legal profession.”
