A 2007 lawsuit said the president of the Minneapolis police union wore a 'white power' patch on his motorcycle jacket and discriminated against officers of color

• A group of black Minneapolis Police officers, including the current chief, sued the department in 2007 over discrimination within the department.
• The suit alleged differential treatment of black police officers when it came to overtime, promotions, and even discipline.
• In the complaint, plaintiffs said that the current president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, Bob Kroll, openly wore a "white power" patch on his motorcycle jacket.

The graphic footage of George Floyd begging for help as Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground for at least eight minutes, eventually killing him, has dominated the national conversation.

Floyd's death has resulted in the firing of Chauvin and three other officers on the scene. It has also sparked citywide riots and led to police and politicians around the country — in unprecedented language — condemning the actions of the Minneapolis officers involved.

One voice that has been relatively absent from the outrage, though, is the usually outspoken Lt. Bob Kroll, the head of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis.

But considering his controversial history as union head, it might come as no surprise that Kroll, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, hasn't come out condemning the actions of the fired cops.

Earlier this week Kroll said that the union intends to support the officers involved.

"Now is not the time rush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers. An in-depth investigation is underway. Our officers are fully cooperating. We must review all video. We must wait for the medical examiner's report," Kroll said in a statement Tuesday. "Officers' actions and training protocol will be carefully examined after the officers have provided their statements."

Kroll, who has been described by a former deputy police chief as a hard-nosed street cop who once had a part of his ear bitten off during a bar fight, has a history of race-related controversies.

Civil rights activists and police reformers have called out "his lengthy disciplinary record," which includes civil complaints and lawsuits for wrongful arrest and excessive force, according to the Star Tribune.

In 2007 Kroll was named in a lawsuit four black police officers — including the current chief — brought against the Minneapolis Police Department for discrimination.

As examples of Kroll's prejudicial treatment, the complaint said Kroll openly wore a "white power" patch sewn into his motorcycle jacket. Kroll is reportedly a member of the City Heat Motorcycle Club, which has been cited by the Anti-Defamation League for its white power connections.

The lawsuit also said Kroll referred to black and Muslim US Rep. Keith Ellison as "a terrorist" in the presence of other officers.

The city eventually settled the lawsuit for $740,000.

In 2015, when Minneapolis officers Dustin Schwarze and Mark Ringgenberg, came under fire for the shooting death of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, Kroll aggressively supported the officers, calling Black Lives Matters, a movement that, among other things, protests police brutality against black men and women, a "terrorist organization."

Neighborhood witnesses claimed Clark was handcuffed at the time of his "execution," but Kroll went on TV pointing out the man's "violent" criminal past, the Star Tribune reported.

In response, about 100 protesters marched through the streets of Northeast on Thursday, calling for him to be ousted from the union, City Pages reported at the time.

But, like Donald Trump, who called Kroll up on stage at a rally in Minneapolis last year, the union president has brushed off allegations of being a racist.

"It bothers me that they won't look beyond the accusation and back up what the truths are: I mean they say, 'Oh he's a racist,' and I will tell you that's complete [expletive] — anybody that knows me will tell you that's complete [expletive]," Kroll, told the Star Tribune in November. "So put your money where your mouth is: What have I ever done to be a racist? What have I ever done to be a fascist, or a sexist or any of these '-isms' that they wanna throw out there?"

Kroll could not be immediately reached for comment.

• Read more:
• 'I can't breathe': 4 Minneapolis police officers were fired following their involvement in a black man's death after a cop knelt on his neck for 8 minutes
• New video appears to show police forcing George Floyd out of his car moments before an officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes
• Photos show thousands of protesters demanding justice in Minneapolis after police killed George Floyd
• Most Minnesota law enforcement agencies ban the neck-pinning maneuver used against George Floyd — but it's still allowed in Minneapolis