What a Minnesota police department thought was going to be a simple ceremony applauding the life-saving work of a resident backfired as he exposed the department for their lack of action. Alex Mingus wanted the public to know the police aren’t doing enough - all while donning a “smash white supremacy” shirt, according to On Site Public Media.
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At a St. Paul Police Department ceremony, Mingus honored with a police chief’s award for valor by St. Paul Interim Police Chief Jeremy Ellison. Mingus had saved a man from bleeding out from a gunshot wound.
Read the details from the Huffington Post:
Mingus was driving with his wife to work when he heard gunshots and followed a red van that “left at a high rate of speed” from the shooting, Ellison said. The van later stopped and a man — who was “bleeding profusely” — exited the vehicle and asked for help, according to Ellison.
Ellison said Mingus wrapped a shirt around the shooting victim’s arm “to try and slow the bleeding”; an artery in the victim’s wrist had “been severely damaged by a bullet.”
“Doctors stated that the aid provided by Alex prevented this man from dying,” Ellison said.
You know who else could have saved the man’s life? The police.
Upon receiving his medal, Mingus took off his sweatshirt to unveil a “smash white supremacy” shirt. He said though he appreciated the token of recognition, he was uncomfortable being there because he “doesn’t rock with the police.”
“That day nine of your squad cars raced past us as I was flagging them down - that was a potential of 18 people…18 people could have stopped to help preserve life but 18 people chose to go to a potential threat,” said Mingus.
He didn’t discredit the danger of the armed suspect. Yet, couldn’t at least one squad car stop to offer aid to the victim? It’s not wrong for citizens to be life savers. Though, one would think officers trained to respond to incidents like these would, you know, respond.
“I just want folks to know that they don’t keep us safe. We keep us safe. Riots work,” said Mingus.
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