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Bob Kroll
Former Minneapolis Police Federation President
President of the Minneapolis Police Officers Federation who championed "warrior-style" training for officers, publicly defended the officers involved in the murder of George Floyd, and appeared at a Donald Trump rally wearing a "Cops for Trump" shirt
Overview
Robert "Bob" Kroll served as president of the Minneapolis Police Officers Federation, the union representing rank-and-file Minneapolis police officers, from 2015 until his retirement in January 2021. Kroll was one of the most controversial police union leaders in America, known for his aggressive defense of officers facing misconduct complaints and his promotion of "warrior-style" policing training that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had attempted to ban in 2019. After Kroll arranged for the training to continue through the union, the city could not stop officers from attending. In October 2019, Kroll appeared on stage at a Donald Trump rally in Minneapolis wearing a "Cops for Trump" shirt and a red "Keep America Great" hat. Following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020, Kroll sent a letter to union members calling Floyd a "violent criminal" and describing the subsequent protests as a "terrorist movement." He defended the four officers involved in Floyd death and criticized the city leadership for its response. Kroll himself had accumulated at least 20 internal affairs complaints during his career, none of which resulted in discipline, and had been named in multiple civil rights lawsuits. Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and other activists had long identified Kroll as a central obstacle to police reform in Minneapolis. His leadership of the police union was cited in the DOJ pattern-or-practice investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department that found systemic violations of constitutional rights.
Key Affiliations
Minneapolis Police Department
Lieutenant and officer; accumulated at least 20 internal affairs complaints during his career with no resulting discipline
agency
Minneapolis Police Officers Federation
President (2015-2021); championed warrior-style policing training and defended officers involved in George Floyd murder
organization
Controversies & Concerns
Accumulated at least 20 internal affairs complaints during his police career, none of which resulted in disciplinary action
Championed "warrior-style" police training that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey tried to ban in 2019; Kroll arranged for the training to continue through the union
Appeared on stage at a Donald Trump rally in Minneapolis in October 2019 wearing a "Cops for Trump" shirt
After George Floyd murder by officer Derek Chauvin, sent a letter to union members calling Floyd a "violent criminal" and describing protests as a "terrorist movement"
Publicly defended all four officers involved in George Floyd death and criticized city leadership
Named in multiple civil rights lawsuits throughout his career as a Minneapolis police officer
His leadership of the police union was cited as a systemic factor in the DOJ pattern-or-practice investigation that found Minneapolis PD engaged in widespread constitutional violations
Civil rights leaders identified Kroll as a central obstacle to police reform in Minneapolis for years before the Floyd killing
Related Investigations (1)
Known Associates & Connections
Derek Chauvin
Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd; Kroll union defended him before conviction
Donald Trump
Kroll appeared on stage at Trump 2019 Minneapolis rally wearing "Cops for Trump" shirt
Sources & Documentation
3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
New York Times: The Police Union Leader Behind Minneapolis Aggressive Tactics(2020-06-06)
Minneapolis Star Tribune: Bob Kroll, Head of Minneapolis Police Union, Called George Floyd a Violent Criminal(2020-05-29)
U.S. DOJ: Investigation of the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department(2023-06-16)
Personal Information
Education
Key Timeline
2015
Elected president of the Minneapolis Police Officers Federation
2019-04
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey bans warrior-style police training; Kroll arranges for the training to continue through the union
2019-10-10
Appears on stage at Donald Trump rally in Minneapolis wearing a "Cops for Trump" shirt and "Keep America Great" hat
2020-05-25
George Floyd murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin; three other officers assist or fail to intervene
2020-05-26
Sends letter to union members calling George Floyd a "violent criminal" and describing protests as a "terrorist movement"
2020-06
Publicly defends all four officers involved in Floyd death; opposes criminal charges against them
2021-01
Retires as president of the Minneapolis Police Officers Federation after George Floyd protests and national scrutiny
2023-06
DOJ releases findings of pattern-or-practice investigation into Minneapolis PD, citing police union resistance to reform as a systemic factor