An update on the Fong Lee case in Minneapolis... Last week, a judge threw out most claims in the Lee family's lawsuit, dismissing all claims against the city of Minneapolis and one claim against Officer Jason Anderson. Lee's family claims that Fong was unarmed and that police planted a gun near his body.
Yesterday, the judge ruled that Minneapolis can present evidence at trial next week that Lee was affiliated with a gang: Jurors can hear Fong Lee's alleged gang affiliation, judge rules. For the city, establishing alleged gang membership apparently makes it more probable that Fong or his friends had access to a gun... and thus more likely that gun in question was his.
The judge also granted the city's request to exclude "other bad acts" by Andersen -- specifically that he twice used derogatary remarks, once about Asians. Seriously? None of this, of course, is good news for Fong Lee's family, who just want justice, or the community at large, who suffer in the face of police corruption. The trial is set to start on Monday.
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