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MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man has been charged with Threats of Violence (Intent to Terrorize), the night before being sworn in as a Minneapolis Police Officer.
Ahmed Mohamed Jama, 29, threatened his wife with bodily harm after an argument on August 1. The criminal complaint, filed on August 4, states authorities to a report of past action domestic assault. Jama’s wife told authorities that he threatened to “shoot her in the head” because he would “get away with it.” Jama denied making the threat.
According to his personnel file, Jama first started working with the Minneapolis Police Department as a Police Cadet.
Jama filed paperwork to become a Police Cadet in August of 2016, a similar training program that Officer Mohamed Noor, the Minneapolis Officer who shot Justine Damond in July.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, a Police Cadet:
“To be hired as a Police Cadet, you must have a two or four year degree in any discipline from a regionally accredited college or university, and must NOT have passed the P.O.S.T. Licensing Exam.”
“The City of Minneapolis then pays for the Cadet to complete Law Enforcement certificate courses through a PPOE program which includes skills training simultaneously as they go through MPD’s in-house academy.This academic training is comparable to the training recruits receive before being hired by the MPD.
“This lasts approximately 8 months. Cadets are promoted to Police Officer upon successful completion of the P.O.S.T. Board academic and skills requirements. From there they enter the Minneapolis Police Department’s Field Training Program (see below). The MPD Cadet Program started back in 1989 and has helped the MPD hire a number of highly qualified and decorated officers, including many of our current Chiefs, Inspectors, and Commanders.”
As Alpha News reported, MPD looked to clear up any confusion regarding time spent training. Noor spent more than a year after going through the police cadet training for the Minneapolis Police Department, while Jama started out as a Community Service Officer before working his way up to officer.
“At this point, the probationary employee you’ve inquired about, who has never worked in the capacity of a Minneapolis Police Officer, is on administrative leave,” Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said in a statement. “I am aware of the serious charges and will take appropriate action when necessary. The Office of Police Conduct Review has opened up a case into this matter.”
Preya Samsundar
Preya Samsundar was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this Spring with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Strategic Communications. Preya has previously worked on several State Campaign Races.
