Ramsey County Sheriff Threatened to Pull Officers From State Fair After Misconduct Report, Lawsuit Says

Ramsey County sheriff threatened to pull officers from State Fair after misconduct report, lawsuit says

Michael Coffey, a Cottage Grove officer who has worked as the assistant police chief of the fair since 2022, filed the whistleblower lawsuit last week.

State Fair assistant police chief sues fair, Ramsey County sheriff over alleged retaliation

The assistant police chief for the Minnesota State Fair, Michael Coffey, is suing the state government entity which runs the fair, State Agricultural Society, and Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher for retaliation after reporting police misconduct he said he witnessed during the 2025 fair, the Pioneer Press reported Monday. According to court documents, Coffey said sheriff’s deputies sprayed bystanders with chemical munitions and claims to have …

Minnesota State Fair assistant chief files lawsuit against fair, Ramsey County sheriff claiming retaliation

The assistant police chief at the Minnesota State Fair has filed a whistleblower lawsuit claiming he was retaliated against after reporting concerns about law enforcement conduct.

Lawsuit: Assistant police chief alleges Ramsey County sheriff used excessive force at State Fair

Michael Coffey says Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher retaliated against him for speaking up.

Minnesota State Fair assistant police chief sues Ramsey County sheriff for retaliation

The Minnesota State Fair assistant police chief said in a whistleblower lawsuit that Ramsey County Sheriff Robert Fletcher tried to have him fired for reporting Fletcher’s alleged use of chemical munitions on bystanders.

MN State Fair assistant police chief sues fair, Ramsey Co. sheriff, citing retaliation

Following Coffey's disclosure of events, he claimed in his lawsuit that Fletcher "demanded" he be fired, allegedly threatening to pull county officers from the fair.