"Given their track record of twice firing officer Smith, only to see him reinstated twice; and bringing multiple charges against Crosby Mayor Jim Hunter, all of which were either dismissed or found to be not guilty, Chief Taylor made the decision to record conversations when both Chief Coughlin and Lt. Randolph started calling him with accusations, including at one point sue the City of Deerwood. Similar calls were also being made at times to Deerwood Mayor Mike Aulie who did not record the calls," the council's statement stated.
Minnesota sheriff restricts county access for city police after secret recordings surface
“It is not a decision I take lightly,” Goddard wrote, stating it was necessary after reading the findings of the defamation lawsuit filed by former Crosby Police Officer Jesse Smith against the city of Crosby and the police department s top two ranking officers. 4:00 pm, May 29, 2021 ×
Crow Wing County Jail in Brainerd, MN.
DEERWOOD, Minn. A Minnesota county sheriff has restricted a city police department from some county buildings, after it was learned during a defamation lawsuit that the police chief had secretly recorded two other officers.
Crow Wing County Sheriff Scott Goddard restricted access from all sheriff office-controlled buildings for Deerwood Police Department personnel.
Deerwood Mayor Mike Aulie
In telephone interviews, Aulie and Taylor both said they were unable to comment on the letter until after the Deerwood City Council discusses the matter June 7 during a closed meeting. Aulie said he views Goddard’s letter as a complaint against an employee, which is why the issue will be discussed in a closed session, per Minnesota statutes.
According to findings in Askegaard’s ruling, Taylor recorded conversations with Coughlin and Randolph without their knowledge sometime before April 2018. Coughlin asked Taylor for a meeting and he agreed to meet in person. During the meeting, Coughlin informed Taylor she believed there was a lack of effective communication between the Crosby and Deerwood police departments, specifically in reference to Smith. She claimed she had three examples involving Smith:
“It is not a decision I take lightly,” Goddard wrote, stating it was necessary after reading the findings of the defamation lawsuit filed by former Crosby Police Officer Jesse Smith against the city of Crosby and the police department's top two ranking officers.