# Louisiana State Police *Louisiana state police agency, named in a May 2025 U.S. Justice Department retraction of police findings that also covered Minneapolis* The Louisiana State Police enters the Minnesota record through one federal action. On May 21, 2025, the Civil Rights Division of the [[United States Department of Justice]] issued release 25-534. In it the Division moved to "dismiss with prejudice" its suits concerning [[Minneapolis]] and [[Louisville]], closed both investigations, and retracted its findings as to those two jurisdictions and as to [[Phoenix]], [[Trenton]], [[Memphis]], [[Mount Vernon]], [[Oklahoma City]] and the Louisiana State Police.[^1] The pack does not describe the agency's own conduct, staffing or policies. It also does not carry the content of the findings that were withdrawn as to it. The release gave its own account of the step. It quoted Assistant Attorney General Dhillon as "ending the Biden Civil Rights Division's failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders".[^1] For Minneapolis, the instrument withdrawn was the Division's June 16, 2023 finding of reasonable cause that the [[Minneapolis Police Department]] "uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers".[^2] In dismissing the Minneapolis case, the federal judge cited "grave misgivings about the proposed consent decree serving the public interest".[^3] ## Who - The Louisiana State Police is one of eight jurisdictions whose findings release 25-534 retracted. The eight are Minneapolis, Louisville, Phoenix, Trenton, Memphis, Mount Vernon, Oklahoma City and the Louisiana State Police.[^1] - The release attributes its statement of purpose to Assistant Attorney General Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division.[^1] ## What - In a single release, the Division: - moved to dismiss with prejudice the Minneapolis and Louisville suits; - closed both investigations; and - retracted the findings as to all eight jurisdictions.[^1] - The pack does not show any separate filing or statement concerning the Louisiana State Police.[^1] ## When - The retraction was announced on May 21, 2025.[^1] - The Minneapolis case was then dismissed by Judge [[Paul A. Magnuson]], who denied the settlement-approval motion as moot.[^3] The two sources give different dates: - Sahan Journal reports that the order issued on May 28, 2025.[^3] - The Clearinghouse docket dates the dismissal May 27, 2025.[^4] ## In the at-issue record At-issue entry [[At issue 031 - When DOJ retracted the Minneapolis findings it retracted]] (rank 31, shock 75) is filed both as AI-031 and as AI-Hennepin-031 in the Hennepin package. It states that the Minneapolis retraction was part of a single action and concludes: "Minneapolis was not singled out. It was in a batch."[^1] The entry says DOJ retracted "six others" but then names seven. The Department's release, the higher-ranked source, lists eight jurisdictions in all, Minneapolis included.[^1] The entry's anchor is a March 2025 presidential action, *Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos*. The entry explains the anchor's purpose this way: "a batch retraction is a policy event, and belongs in the record as one".[^5] The pack does not establish that the retraction was taken under that order. ## In the Minnesota record ### When - **April 21, 2021.** The Department opened a pattern-or-practice investigation of the [[City of Minneapolis]] and its police department under 34 U.S.C. § 12601. It was announced one day after the [[Chauvin verdict]].[^4] - **June 16, 2023.** In release 23-674, the Department found reasonable cause that the department "unlawfully discriminates against Black people and Native American people in its enforcement activities".[^2] An 89-page findings report accompanied the release.[^6] - **January 6, 2025.** A [[consent decree]] was filed in [[United States v. City of Minneapolis (MPD consent decree)]], No. 0:25-cv-00048 (D. Minn.). The 169-page decree provided for an independent monitor.[^7] - **May 21, 2025.** The Department moved to dismiss the case with prejudice and retracted the 2023 findings, in the same action that covered the Louisiana State Police.[^1] - **May 27 or 28, 2025.** The case was dismissed with prejudice. The decree never took effect.[^3][^4] ### What - **The state instrument continued.** MDHR filed a charge on June 1, 2020. On April 27, 2022, it found "probable cause that the City and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act".[^8] - **The same MDHR report documented:** - 13 of the 14 people killed by Minneapolis police officers since 2010 were people of color or Indigenous; - Black residents were 19% of the population but 63% of recorded use-of-force incidents from 2010 to 2020; - Black residents were 54% of officer-initiated traffic stops and 78% of all searches from 2017 to 2020.[^8] - **The court-enforceable settlement.** The settlement under the [[Minnesota Human Rights Act]] was filed on March 31, 2023.[^9] Judge Karen Janisch of [[Hennepin County District Court]] approved it on July 13, 2023, in *Minnesota v. Minneapolis Police Department*, [[No. 27-CV-23-4177]].[^9] It terminates only on a judicial finding of "full, effective, and sustained compliance".[^10] The [[independent evaluator]], ELEFA, began work on March 18, 2024.[^11] - **A later federal action against the State.** On January 14, 2026, the Department issued release No. 26-21, titled *United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota's 'Affirmative Action' Regime*. Attorney General Pamela Bondi certified the case as a matter of general public importance.[^12] The pack does not carry that suit's docket number or current status. ## Notes [^1]: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, *Release 25-534* (May 21, 2025) — moves to dismiss with prejudice the Minneapolis and Louisville suits, closes both investigations, and retracts the findings as to those jurisdictions and Phoenix, Trenton, Memphis, Mount Vernon, Oklahoma City and the Louisiana State Police; quotes AAG Dhillon. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-department-justices-civil-rights-division-dismisses-biden-era-police-investigations-and [^2]: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, *Release 23-674* (June 16, 2023) — reasonable-cause findings of excessive force and discriminatory enforcement by the Minneapolis Police Department. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-civil-rights-violations-minneapolis-police-department-and-city [^3]: Sahan Journal, *Minneapolis federal consent decree dismissed* (May 2025) — Judge Paul A. Magnuson granted dismissal with prejudice, denied the settlement-approval motion as moot, and cited "grave misgivings"; reports the order issued May 28, 2025. https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minneapolis-federal-consent-decree-dismissed/ [^4]: Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, *Case 18178: United States v. City of Minneapolis* (docket) — investigation opened April 21, 2021 under 34 U.S.C. § 12601; dismissal dated May 27, 2025. https://clearinghouse.net/case/18178/ [^5]: The White House, *Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos* (March 2025) — the presidential action listed as the anchor of at-issue entry 031. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/stopping-waste-fraud-and-abuse-by-eliminating-information-silos/ [^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, *Minneapolis findings report* (June 2023) — the full 89-page findings report. https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-06/minneapolis_findings_report.pdf [^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, *Justice Department reaches agreement with City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department* (January 2025) — consent decree filed January 6, 2025, No. 0:25-cv-00048 (D. Minn.), 169 pages, providing for an independent monitor. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-reaches-agreement-city-minneapolis-and-minneapolis-police-department [^8]: Minnesota Department of Human Rights, *Investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department* (April 27, 2022) — charge filed June 1, 2020; probable-cause finding; killing, use-of-force, traffic-stop and search figures. https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Investigation%20into%20the%20City%20of%20Minneapolis%20and%20the%20Minneapolis%20Police%20Department_tcm1061-526417.pdf [^9]: Minnesota Department of Human Rights, *Civil rights update* (2023) — settlement filed March 31, 2023 and approved by Judge Karen Janisch July 13, 2023, No. 27-CV-23-4177. https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/civilrightsupdates.jsp?id=1061-584578 [^10]: Minnesota Department of Human Rights, *MPD settlement agreement document hub* — termination only on a finding of full, effective, and sustained compliance. https://mn.gov/mdhr/mpd/agreement/ [^11]: Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, *Case 43326: Minnesota v. Minneapolis Police Department* (docket) — settlement docket; independent evaluator ELEFA began March 18, 2024. https://clearinghouse.net/case/43326/ [^12]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, *Release No. 26-21* (Jan. 14, 2026) — titled "United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota's 'Affirmative Action' Regime"; Attorney General Pamela Bondi certified the case as a matter of general public importance. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-department-justice-files-lawsuit-against-minnesotas-affirmative-action-regime