St. Paul Chief supports officer who Beat Down 85 Year Old Black Man

St. Paul police released photos and an audio recording Friday that they say show an 85-year-old black man kicked and scuffled with a police officer and was uncooperative during a Dec. 27 traffic stop. Officer Michael Lee arrested Leon Nins -- the father of a Connecticut minister -- during the incident and each man accuses the other of assault. On Wednesday, leaders in St. Paul's African-American community gathered to criticize police for their handling of the case. "This tends to corroborate what was described by Officer Lee," said police spokesman Officer Paul Schnell said of the photos and recording. The Ramsey County attorney has declined to file felony assault charges against Nins, and the case has been turned over to the St. Paul city attorney for consideration of misdemeanor charges. Nins and leaders of the St. Paul NAACP chapter and the St. Paul African American Leadership Council demand Wednesday that Lee be fired and that criminal charges be filed against him. The police department's internal affairs office is investigating the allegations. Saying an independent witness and other evidence collected so far supports Lee's case, Police Chief John Harrington has said he stands behind his officer. The photos released by the department Friday show Lee with a small scrape on his nose, some stains on his necktie and white marks on his pants and shoes. Police have said Nins spit at Lee, kicked him and pushed a car door into Lee's face. Nins said he didn't cause any marks on Lee. "If they were, he put them there," Nins said. "My hands were handcuffed behind my back. How could I do anything? He pushed me to the squad car, sprayed me with Mace, beat me." [more]