'A Lot Of Work We Need To Do': MPD Releases Video Of Officers Decorating Offensive Tree

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- New video released today shows Minneapolis police officers decorating a Christmas Tree with offensive decorations.

WCCO requested the video of the day officers in the 4th Precinct decorated a Christmas tree with a Popeye's Chicken cup and crime tape.

A photo of the tree circulated on social media two weeks ago, showing the tree also decorated with a malt liquor can and cigarettes.

From a distance, it appears to be an innocent holiday moment, two officers, decorating the 4th Precinct tree in North Minneapolis. But a closer looks shows instead of tinsel, they used crime tape. Instead of an ornament, a Popeye's Chicken cup.

Leslie Redmond is the president of the Minneapolis NAACP, "Seeing the alcohol or nicotine, seeing all those things that have been thrown in the black community that are harming our community is not representative to us."

Redmond calls the new video affirming, "Again it was disheartening but not shocking. It just reiterates the disregard that the police department and the city of Minneapolis has for the black community."

She says she was most surprised to see what appears to be an officer capturing the moment.

"The fact that they were proud of their actions; they were taking photographs as if it was a trophy," Redmond said.

A spokesperson for Minneapolis police says they can't comment on details of the investigation. They say they released the new video for transparency and don't believe this will interfere with the investigation.

Now, there is a new tree out front that neighbors put up in unity on Friday.

Two officers are on paid leave and their boss was removed from his job. Redmond says, "I think it was necessary. We need that to happen, but we have a lot of work we need to do."

The head of the Police Federation union, Bob Kroll, says he is not commenting while the investigation is open.