Able & Baker Podcast

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss the tragic incident in Burnsville, Minnesota where two police officers and one firefighter/paramedic were murdered by a domestic assault suspect. This incident hit close to home due to Karina having worked in Burnsville earlier in her career and having interacted a lot with Burnsville police officers; it was their professionalism and commitment to service that drew Karina to a career in law enforcement. Burnsville police officers, Paul Elmstrand, Matthew Ruge, and Firefighter/SWAT Medic, Adam Finseth did not deserve to die by a domestic assault suspect that had access to numerous weapons even though he was a prohibitive felon from possessing firearms. This was such a tragic situation and such a major blow to the City of Burnsville. It just breaks our hearts to see such young people who are in the prime of their lives, who dedicate their careers and sacrifice their family time to keep their communities safe, lose their life in such a tragic way. You will always be remembered and your life mattered! We also discuss the dwindling number of police officers in the City of Minneapolis and how 911 response and the investigative units are being drastically affected, yet there are city officials and probably paid social media influencers who try to convince the public that Minneapolis is thriving and a place to visit, when the opposite is actually true. If you need any information about crime in Minneapolis, please visit Crime Watch Minneapolis on X; they report on all the crime that the mainstream media does not report. Please take time to visit the City of Burnsville homepage and honor the officers.

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss the Israeli-Hamas war and honor three service members who were killed, and thirty-four others wounded, by an Iranian drone in northeastern Jordan, near the Syrian border. Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin confirmed the strike and stated that this attack marked a significant increase in hostilities between Iran backed proxies against U.S. troops. Today we honor these soldiers for their dedication and ultimate sacrifice to our nation: U.S. Army Sgt. William Rivers, Specialist Kennedy Sanders, and Specialist Breonna Moffett. We also honor the following law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. We are grateful and honored that you chose to serve your communities. You will forever be remembered by your friends, family, community and your law enforcement family. RIP Deputy Sheriff Justin Smith (Stone County Sheriff's Office-Arkansas) Court Officer Robert Silver (St. Clair County 72nd District Court-Michigan) Deputy Sheriff Eric Minix (Coweta County Sheriff's Office-Georgia) Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Malone (George County Sheriff's Office-Mississippi) Trooper Joel Popp (Michigan State Police) Trooper Jimmy Cenescar (Georgia State Patrol) Trooper Zachary Fink (Florida Highway Patrol) * K9 Nyx (Rockford Police Department-Illinois) References: http://www.reuters.com, retrieved 1/30/24. http://www.odmp.org, retrieved 1/30/24.

Former police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss Minneapolis year-end crime statistics, declining police recruitment, and the new Minnesota state flag. We also discuss Colorado taking Trump off of the ballot and some possible repercussions resulting in this. We also honor the following officers for their ultimate sacrifice! Please say their names and remember them for their dedication to their communities and families. Thank you for becoming a law enforcement officer; your sacrifice is not in vain! RIP 1) Sergeant Michael Moran (Cortez Police Department-Colorado) 2) Sergeant Michael Abbate (Nevada Department of Public Safety) 3) Trooper Alberto Felix (Nevada Highway Patrol) 4) Police Officer Paul Tracey (Waltham Police Department-Massachusetts) 5) Deputy Sheriff Paul Martin (Mercer County Sheriff's Department- N.Dakota) 6) Sergeant Russell Jones (Pamlico County Sheriff's Office-North Carolina) 7) Sergeant Stephen Gibson (Somervell County Sheriff's Office-Texas) 8) Chief of Police Christopher Cummings (Samburg Police Department-TN) 9) Deputy Sheriff Joshua Hamilton (Preble County Sheriff's Office-Ohio) *References: www.omdp.com (Officer Down Memorial Page)

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, speak with journalist, Deena Winter, who writes for the Minnesota Reformer News. Ms. Winter has been a journalist for over thirty years and started her career in a small border town in North Dakota. Ms. Winter in an investigative reporter who primarily writes about local government, city hall, crime and police. Ms. Winter talked to us about some interesting small town crime stories as well as issues she's encountered trying to cover the Minneapolis Police Department; we spoke about recent crime issues, crime strategies, the newly installed police chief, cultural police change, recruiting/retention, leadership failures, mayoral and city council intervention, and the diversity of officers on patrol. The Minnesota Reformer News is an online publication that delivers insightful, well researched, well written, local Twin Cities content. Please check out investigative reporter, Deena Winter's work, along with her colleagues, at http://www.minnesotareformer.com.

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley celebrate their first year in the podcast business! The idea of starting a podcast emerged while they were still on patrol and wanted to focus on issues in law enforcement and how they intersect with local and national politics; they decided to call their show, the Able and Baker podcast as an homage to their former preferred squad car assignments, Able (Chris) was the driver, and Baker (Karina) was the passenger officer responsible for running the MDC (mobile data computer) and radio. The process of coming up with a podcast name, to their first show, was exciting but fraught with technical challenges; it's never as easy as people make it out to be! With that being said, we are honored to be able to bring you authentic, honest, interesting shows that are critically analyzed through an experienced law enforcement and military lens. In addition, as a former Congressional candidate and Army veteran, Chris brings his candidate and political experience to the forefront when discussing local and national politics. We are honored and humbled to have such a great loyal base of listeners all around the country and around the world; we promise to never waste your precious time and to rightfully inform, educate, and provide some critical analysis of current law enforcement events and its political reverberations. On our show we always honor our fallen brothers and sisters and ask that you take a moment to honor them for their ultimate sacrifice! Today we honor: Sgt. John Arden Jensen (Fort Worth Texas Police Department) Detective James Michael Lett (Benton Police Department) Senior Police Officer Jorge Pastore (Austin Police Department) Correction Officer III Jovian Motley (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) Border Patrol Agent Freddy Ortiz (U.S. Dept of Homeland Security) References: Officer Down Memorial Page www.omdp.org

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, talk with Liz Collin, the author of the best-selling book, "They're Lying" as well as the Director/Producer of the movie, "The Fall of Minneapolis". Liz Collin is an award-winning journalist who formerly worked at the CBS affiliate, WCCO news, in the Twin Cities and due to her affiliation with the former Minneapolis Police Union Leader, Bob Kroll (they are married) she was "blacklisted" and finally resigned. Liz now works as an anchor/podcaster at Alpha News in the Twin Cities and is grateful to be working with a team of journalists who allow her to be bold and tell the truth. Liz tells us that she and her writing partner, Dr. J.C. Chaix, decided to write about "The Media, The Left, and The Death of George Floyd" to counter the deceitful narrative around the unfortunate death of George Floyd. As officers who were working at the Fifth Precinct, night watch shift, Chris and I know exactly what it was like during the 2020 riots, as we were patrolling the city as a 911 responder and seeing the devastation first-hand. Chris and I were astonished at all the additional information we learned from the book that we did not know at the time; this incident should have never happened! What also shouldn't have happened was the inept, or lack of leadership by the MPD command staff as well as city and state leadership. This terrible tragedy was compounded by terrible lies, misinformation, and exploited for political purposes. Countless lives and livelihoods were ruined due to a false narrative and the continued demonization of police officers everywhere has taken its toll on communities and the rank and file. References: Collin, L. (2022). They're Lying (1st ed.). Paper Birch Press. www.TheLieExposed.com The Fall of Minneapolis, www.thefallofminneapolis.com

Former Minneapolis Police Officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss the tragic events in Los Angeles where four Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputies committed suicide. National reports state that one Commander, one former Sergeant, and two other personnel took their own lives in what is described as a "cluster" suicide phenomenon per CNN. This show is dedicated to all the men and women of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office. This is an unimaginable tragedy to an already overworked, underappreciated sheriff's office. The stresses in law enforcement are immense and in the current environment of failed leadership, politicized city government, unsupportive community, increased crime, and understaffed police departments lead to individuals being unable to cope, get respite, and recharge. Officers endure stress at home, stress with their co-workers, leadership and brass. It's no wonder that in this day and age no one wants to become a police officer, departments cannot keep their personnel and officers are retiring at record rate. For those officers who are overwhelmed and feel like there is no hope, there is! Please! Your life is more important than this job! Your family and friends are more important than this job, Please, reach out to someone! There are so many therapists who want to work with you confidentially to help you, go find one, pay cash, and get some care. As a last resort please call or text 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline.

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss the escalation of the Israeli/Hamas war as well as the continued rise in antisemitism in the United States and around the world; we also examine why other muslim countries do not want to accept Palestinian refugees. We also discuss some military history and current maneuvers that both Israel, China, and the United States have taken in the recent days. Then, we discuss Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District vie for the Presidency and the outrage it has caused within the Minnesota DFL (Democrat Farmer Labor) party. Finally, we discuss the reaction of the MN GOP activist class to the rebuffing of Tom Emmer as Speaker of the House of Representatives. On a positive note, we do not have any officer's line of death duty to report this week! Thank goodness! We hope and pray the trend of targeting police officers subsides.

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss the rise in antisemitism in Minneapolis and nationwide. They also discuss the emerging schism between the Democratic Socialists of America and the DFL (Democrat Farmer Labor Party who dominate Minneapolis politics. The DFL leader, Ken Martin, wrote a scathing Twitter post criticizing the DSA for antisemitic comments. The Minneapolis city council has four declared DSA members, and the antisemitic creep is too much for the Jewish mayor, Jacob Frey. The fallout of this incident included several prominent Jewish DFL leaders and several DFL party chairs suspending their involvement in the DFL caucus system until after the election because they morally could not be involved in a system that advocates antisemitic tropes. We also discuss the rise in antisemitic rhetoric and protests promoted by student groups at elite universities; alumni and donors are responding by pulling their endowments and legacy funding. Today, we honor two police officers who died in the line of duty; we grieve with their families and communities and thank them for their ultimate sacrifice. 1) Lieutenant Milton Resendez (San Benito Police Department-Texas) 2) Police Officer Richard Mendez (Philadelphia Police Department) *Officer Down Memorial Page, omdp.org.

In this episode, former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley discuss the horrific events in Israel. Knowing that there is 24/7 coverage of this war we are only going to be discussing the major turn of events, not delve into historical context or analysis. We are also going to discuss the rising antisemitism we are seeing in Minneapolis as well as the emerging presence of the Democratic Socialists of America, who have their roots in the Socialist Party of America, in Minneapolis City Hall. We honor the following officers who gave their life while serving their community-we grieve with their families, their department, and their communities: Police Officer Richard Menendez (Philadelphia Police Department) Deputy Sheriff Tucker Blakely (Know County Sheriff's Office) Captain John Randolph (Ringling Police Department) Deputy Sheriff Shannon Lang (Marion County Sheriff's Department) Correctional Officer Robert Clark (Georgia Department of Corrections) Deputy Sheriff Jacob Salrin (Richland County Sheriff Department) Community Parole Officer Christine Guerin-Sandoval (Colorado Dept of Corrections) Deputy Sheriff Marylin Mayo (St. Tammany's Parish Office) Deputy Sheriff Ryan Clinkunbroomer (LA County Sheriff's Department) Governmental Affairs Liaison Michael Griffin (Mississippi Department of Public Safety) * All sources taken from www.odmp.org

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, interview former MN State Representative, Kelly Fenton, from Woodbury; Mrs. Fenton represented District 53 B (Woodbury) from 2015-2019 and was also the Deputy Chair of the Minnesota Republican Party from 2011-2013. Mrs. Fenton brings her legislative expertise and breaks down the inner workings of Republican politics in Minnesota. Mrs. Fenton's was Vice Chair of the Commerce and Regulatory Reform, Government Operations and Elections as well as the Rules and Legislative Administration. Fenton obtained a Bachelor's degree from Marquette University as well as a Master's degree in education from the University of Houston.

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. September 11th, 2001 is a day that every American remembers. it was a tragic day for so many people who were working in the towers, all the first responders that responded to the incident and all the people who were afflicted by post 9/11 cancer related illnesses. Several people point to the fact that America has never really recovered from the terror incident and that the slow slide of division is a culmination of where we are as a society now. MSNBC stated that we are where we are because of "white supremacy" and "Christian nationalism".' others point to the negative ramifications of the Patriot Act and how it has divided our country ethnically and religiously. Whatever your opinion is or wherever you find yourself on the political spectrum, September 11th will always be a sacred day, a day to honor the lives that were lost and the bravery that people imbodied. We in Minnesota, especially honor Tom Burnett who was on flight 93 that day; Tom and several other passengers showed incredible bravery in retaking their plane from the terrorists. may he and his fellow passengers rest in peace. We also discuss the new appointment of the Minneapolis Public Safety Director who will replace Cedric Alexander as well as the horrific attack of a DFL party chair. We dedicate this episode to the thirteen young service members that died at Abbey Gate, Kabul International Airport, due to the reckless actions of the U.S. government officials. They did not need to die, and we will never forget their selfless dedication to our country.

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley interview the Reverend Timothy Christopher of the Berean Missionary Baptist Church. Chris and Karina met the Reverend on Twitter when Chris was running as an Independent Alliance candidate challenging Ilhan Omar, and later met up with him while on patrol at his church on the Northside; they have been friends ever since! Reverend Timothy Christopher is well known on the streets of Minneapolis and is active in street preaching, 2nd Amendment advocacy, vetting political candidates, and running his outreach program, "Shepherds Works", that provides basic necessities, holiday meals, scholarships, and so much more to those in need. Please check out his program and consider donating either your time or resources.

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley interview the Reverend Timothy Christopher of the Berean Missionary Baptist Church. Chris and Karina met the Reverend on Twitter when Chris was running as an Independent Alliance candidate challenging Ilhan Omar, and later met up with him while on patrol at his church on the Northside; they have been friends ever since! Reverend Timothy Christopher is well known on the streets of Minneapolis and is active in street preaching, 2nd Amendment advocacy, vetting political candidates, and running his outreach program, "Shepherds Works", that provides basic necessities, holiday meals, scholarships, and so much more to those in need. Please check out his program and consider donating either your time or resources.

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss the shooting of Ricky Cobb II on July 31, 2023 at around 2 am Monday morning by the MN State Patrol. Mr. Ricky Cobb II was driving on Interstate 94 near Lowry Avenue when he was pulled over by the MN State Patrol due to barely visible rear tail lights. A traffic stop was conducted, and Troopers were later notified by MDC or dispatch that the RO (Registered Owner) had a PC Pickup out for felony violation of a restraining order. Troopers asked Mr. Cobb to exit his vehicle and at some point, Mr. Cobb either put the vehicle into drive, or accidentally shifted the vehicle into drive, causing both Troopers to be dragged. The passenger side Trooper fired into the vehicle striking Mr. Cobb who later took off in his vehicle, but later crashed. Twin Cities media has extensively covered this incident and we have taken some media quotes and included them into our show to provided context and analysis. Chris and I based on our former training and experience hope to provide some clarity and explanations as to why certain things happened on this tragic evening; in no way would we try to explain why the Trooper shot Mr. Cobb because we cannot presume to be inside the Trooper's head. A thorough investigation is being conducted by the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and we await it's findings as well as the future court proceedings. We want to express our condolences to the family and underscore that situations like this are extremely tragic for all involved. In this episode we also honor the lives of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. It is important that we remember who they are and the sacrifice they made: Police Officer Matthew Hare (Easley Police Department-South Carolina) Sergeant Pedro Torres-Santos (Trujillo Alto Police Department-Puerto Rico) Deputy Marshal Barry Giglio (Ville Platte Marshal's Office-Louisiana) Deputy Sheriff Alejandro Martinez (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office) Deputy Sheriff David Bosecker (Eastland County Sheriff's Office-Texas) Sergeant Edwin Maldonado-Garcia (Puerto RIco Police Department) * CBS/AP (2023, August 3-6:45 am) CBS News: "Family of Ricky Cobb II, Black man fatally shot during traffic stop, calls for troopers involved to be fired". *Editorial Board (2023, August 3-5:30 pm) Start Tribune Digital News *ODMP.org (Officer Down Memorial Page) Twitter

In this episode, former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss the origins of the Defund the Police Movement which started in 2014 with the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri by Officer Darren Wilson who was later exonerated. We discuss the shooting implications of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Freddie Gray which ignited massive protests across the nation and helped create the Black Lives Matter organization, a massive grifting organization that personally benefited the founding members but did not substantially contribute to any meaningful reforms. Black Lives Matter protests spread across the nation which intensified in 2020 with the death of George Floyd by Officer Derick Chauvin of the Minneapolis Police Department. The actions and inactions of police, city and state leadership in Minnesota set the stage for the catastrophic events seen nationwide as well as overseas; police staffing nationwide has plummeted and everyone's lives are worse off than they were even five years ago. In this episode we also honor the lives of recently fallen law enforcement officers: Deputy Sheriff John Durm (Marion County Sheriff's Office-Indiana) was killed in the line of duty on 7/10/23 after he was attacked by a prisoner he had recently transported to the hospital for an appointment. He is survived by his wife and son who are also employees of Marion County Sheriff's Office. Please think of his family and community! Police Officer Jake Wallin (Fargo Police Department) was killed in the line of duty on 7/14/23 while responding to a traffic accident; Officer Wallin was ambushed by a gunman who shot and killed him as well as wounding three other Fargo officers on scene. Officer Wallin had Minnesota connections and served in the MN National Guard. Both communities, his department and family are reeling from this incident. We're so sorry this happened to you, you did not deserve....your life mattered! (OMDP.org) Police Officer Anthony Ferguson (Alamogordo Police Department-New Mexico) was killed in the line of duty on 7/16/23 by a suspect who shot at him during a foot pursuit after a traffic accident. He is survived by his daughter, son, mother and father. The killing of our law enforcement officers has got to stop! The war on police has got to stop! The war on innocent lives who are lost due to lack of policing and complete lawlessness has got to stop! Where is Black Lives Matter now? * Kessler, P. & Williams, J. ( 2015, November 20- 4:10 pm) "MPD Chief, Union Head spar over 4th Precinct Protests on WCCO Radio". http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/11... * Officer Down Memorial Page (Twitter) ODMP.org

In this episode former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley, discuss whether or not the Minneapolis Police Department is racist; they examine the findings from the report issued by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights as well as some key take aways from NPR News. We want to honor the following police officers who died in the line of duty-their life mattered and they will never be forgotten: Deputy Sheriff John Durm (Marion County Sheriff's Office-Indiana). Sheriff Durm was killed on 7/10/23 when he was attacked by a prisoner in the sally port of the correctional facility after he had returned from transporting him to the hospital. Sheriff Durm's wife and son also serve with the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Please remember Deputy Sheriff John Durm for his devotion to service. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten! Police Officer Jessica Ebbighausen (Rutland Police Department-Vermont). Officer Ebbighausen was killed in the line of duty on 7/7/23 while responding to a burglary call; Officer Ebbighausen's patrol car was hit by the suspect fleeing the scene and while in pursuit by other officers going the opposite direction. Officere Ebbighausen was so young and her death has hit her family and community extremely hard. Please remember that your life mattered and you will also never be forgotten! (Officer Down Memorial Page)

Former Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley discuss their recent trip to California to visit relatives and how they made it back in one piece without becoming a victim of violence. In this episode we also honor the lives of TROOPER JACQUES F. ROUGEAU JR. of the Pennsylvania State Police who died by gunfire by a suspect who had shot a police using a high powered hunting rifle. End of watch-June 17, 2023. We also remember, POLICE OFFICER MARK CHRISTOPHER WAGNER II of the Wintergreen Police Department of Virginia. Officer WAGNER died from a gunshot wound while responding to a domestic disturbance on Friday, June 16, 2023. We finally remember, CHIEF OF POLICE ANTHONY RICKERSON of the Jasper Police Department in Florida. Chief RICKERSON was killed on Sunday June 11, 2023, in a vehicle crash as he was attempting to provide backup to his fellow officers. Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice! We are honored that you chose law enforcement as your profession and we grieve with your families and communities! RIP (Citations referenced by ODMP.org) In addition, RIP to former Minneapolis Police Chief Anthony Bouza were recently passed away at the age of 94 as reported by the Twin Cities media. We also discuss recent events in Minneapolis specifically addressing PRIDE behavior, pro-active policing in parking lots, and the continual decline in attendance of gatherings in downtown Minneapolis spurred by crime and decay. SPONSOR: WWW.HIGHCALIBERDEFENSE.NET

Forner Minneapolis police officers, Chris and Karina Kelley discuss the end of the MN state legislative session as well as the anniversary of the 2020 riots. In this episode we honor the life of Sgt. Michael Kunovich of the St. John's Sheriffs Office in Florida who died in the line of duty while fighting with a suspect; Sgt. Kunovich died of a heart attack after the attack. We also want to honor Deputy Sheriff Caleb Coney with the Scott County Sheriffs Office in Kentucky who died of a gunshot wound during a traffic stop. Thank you for becoming police officers and thank you for protecting your communities, your sacrifice will not be forgotten! We pray for your family, friends and community. RIP. We also discuss the emergence of Governor DeSantis into the growing GOP field as well as his presidential announcement on Twitter Spaces. We also discuss the corporate phenomenon of "going woke" and the consequences of these strategic decisions. Target is now the latest company to come under fire for LGBT designed clothing that target small children. In addition, we look at the accomplishments of the DFL during this session and examine some bills that were passed. Some might tout this session to be historic while others are extremely disappointed at some extreme bills that were passed. As we've said before, "Elections have consequences!" Finally, we discuss the anniversary of the 2020 riots. Chris and I briefly delve into some of the factors that contributed to the riots as well as our personal takes on what happened and how local and state leaders responded to the incident.