Alpha News defamation lawsuit involving Minneapolis PD dismissed by judge

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A defamation lawsuit filed by a Minneapolis police assistant chief against Alpha News – the creators behind the "Fall of Minneapolis" documentary that criticized leaders’ response to the murder of George Floyd – has been dismissed by a Hennepin County judge.

‘Fall of Minneapolis’ First Amendment lawsuit

What we know:

Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell filed a lawsuit in October 2024 against Alpha News and reporter Liz Collin, who questioned the honesty of Blackwell’s expert witness testimony during the 2021 trial on the murder of George Floyd.

The lawsuit centered on Collin’s book "They’re Lying: The Media, the Left, and the Death of George Floyd," and the film, "The Fall of Minneapolis," which is based on the book.

Often cited as a "counter-narrative" to the immediate media reporting in the aftermath of Floyd's killing, "The Fall of Minneapolis" claims to show viewers "what politicians and the media don’t want you to see" and the city’s response to protests that eventually caused $500 million in damage throughout the city.

Blackwell's reputation not ‘severely damaged’

Dig deeper:

During the trial of former MPD Officer Derek Chauvin, Blackwell testified as a witness for prosecutors, given her experience as the commander of MPD’s training division and background in department training and policies.

However, the documentary and book’s questioning of whether Blackwell lied on the witness stand "met the legal standard of ‘substantial truth’" and was not determined to be defamatory, the opinion says.

In a 58-page ruling, Hennepin County Judge Edward Wahl said that Collin and her co-defendants "hit every legal standard necessary" to avoid the lawsuit ultimately heading to trial.

In his opinion, Wahl concluded that the issues presented in the film and book were of "public concern," that Blackwell’s attorneys needed to prove the case had merit, and that the book and film were not actually defamatory, and that no harm had come to Blackwell as a result.

The case was the first defamation lawsuit argued by Minnesota courts under the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act established in 2024, which sought to limit lawsuits that undermined public discourse, and give more range for them to be dismissed pre-trial.

MPD Police Chief Brian O’Hara has previously praised Blackwell and her service to the city of Minneapolis.

A full copy of the ruling can be found below: