The president of the St. Paul police union says the city’s police chief broke a state law by revealing details about a case that cost five officers their jobs.
St. Paul Police Federation head Paul Kuntz said Friday that police Chief Todd Axtell gave “an incomplete and false narrative, forcing the media to fill in the blanks.” Federation attorney Chris Wachtler said he expects the union to file a grievance next week.
Axtell responded in a statement by calling Kuntz’s comments “untrue allegations.” The chief said he wants to hear the union’s position once it has requested and reviewed the files.
Axtell announced the firings on Thursday. He did not name the officers or give a detailed explanation, other than to say they failed to intervene in an assault last year.
