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Last June, Martin Treptow shot Landen Beard.
Beard - an undercover Robbinsdale cop - was alleged (by Treptow and eyewitnesses) to have been in a road-raging snit.
The rest of the story is very much in contention, although according to witnesses it seems to have gone a little something like this:
- Treptow, in an SUV with his pregnant wife and two small children - and Beard, in a sporty little red car, exchanged gestures, words, and aggressive maneuvering.
- Treptow pulls up to a stoplight.
- Beard pulls up next to him.
- Words are exchanged. What words? We’re not entirely sure, but more on that later.
- Someone pulls a gun. Who drew first - Treptow, in his SUV full of kids, or Landen Beard? We don’t know - officially.
- Martin Treptow fired three shots, wounding Beard about as superficially as is possible under the circumstances.
- He then drove to a convenience store, per state law in self-defense cases, and reported the shooting, apparently not knowing that Beard was an undercover cop.
- Dozens of cops from every possible jurisdiction (rumors that cops sped in from Inver Grove Heights are apparently unfounded) responded, apparently believing Martin Treptow was John Dillinger sprung from the grave.
- Treptow was arrested, and taken to the Anoka County jail, where…
- …the next day, he was released. No arraignment, no charges. He didn’t even have his Concealed Carry permit revoked - which would have taken the Anoka sheriff five minutes, and is basically pro forma in cases when there’s the faintest doubt. Which - after a day of interviewing witnesses, there apparently was not.
It apparently took six months to introduce doubt into the case; the Anoka County grand jury yesterday indicted Martin Treptow. Joel Rosenberg has the whole, depressing story:
Well, the book has been thrown at Martin S. Treptow. He’s been charged in Anoka County, with:
1. Drive by shooting. MS 609.66 subd 1e(b) — felony, up to ten years.
2. Reckless discharge in municipality sub 1a(3) — ditto, up to two years.
3. Terrorist threats. 609.713 sub (1) — ditto.
We’ll see what the next step in the railroading of Treptow and the whitewashing of Beard is tomorrow, when Landen Beard appears in Anoka County Court to have his wrist slapped.
Given the recent revelations that the “investigators” in the case have gone to the Saint Paul PD to dig up dirt about…not Martin, but Rebecca Treptow, it looks to the casual observer like the Anoka County “justice” system is covering the backs of their Robbinsdale PD colleagues.
Beard’s indictment is scheduled for today. We’ll see what happens.
Remember - the jury has the final word on this case. This is far from over.
Or it should be. Martin Treptow isn’t loaded - not even close. And this case could embarass the hell out of the Robbinsdale PD and, given its behavior for the past six months, Anoka as well. My two cents: Anoka County is throwing the book at Treptow, dredging up the worst possible assortment of felonies (and absurd ones, at that), to try to induce him to take a plea bargain rather than spend his family’s entire future defending himself against the combined weight of every law enforcement agency in the Metro.
If you’d like to help…:
Martin and Rebecca Treptow
Anoka Hennepin Credit Union,
3505 Northdale Blvd. N.W.
Coon Rapids, MN 55448.
Cross-posted at Shot in the Dark.
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