>>
>> EVENING ALL. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH A STORY THAT TO THE PERSON
INVOLVED FEELS LESS LIKE A STORY
AND MORE LIKE A LIVING
NIGHTMARE, A NIGHTMARE THAT IN
SOME WAYS IS ENDING BUT IN OTHER
WAYS IS FAR FROM OVER. WHAT
>> ARE YOU DOING? WHAT ARE YOU
DOING?
DOING?
DOING? >>
DOING? >> THIS VIDEO WAS TAKEN ON
AUGUST 28TH AT A PROTEST BY
A PERSON WHO WORKS FOR ALPHA
NEWS IN IT IS AN ALLEGED ASSAULT
ALONG WITH ARGUING
AND CONFRONTATION. WE SHOW YOU
THIS VIDEO BECAUSE PARTS OF IT
WERE LINKED WRONGLY TO LAUREN
PETERSON, WHICH SHE LEARNED
>> ABOUT 12 DAYS TO GO. SO FROM
MY PERSPECTIVE, THE STORY
STARTED ON THE 25TH
OF SEPTEMBER. I WOKE UP THAT
MORNING TO A NASTY FACEBOOK
MESSAGE FROM SOMEONE THAT I
DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, SWEARING
AT ME, CALLING ME A NAME. AND I
THOUGHT, WELL , THAT'S A LITTLE
STRANGE. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY
CONTACTS SO I SHOWED IT TO MY
HUSBAND AND DELETED IT. BUT AS
THE DAY PROGRESSED, I GOT
A COUPLE MORE AND THEN A COUPLE
MORE AND THEN ONE OF
THEM FINALLY LINKED THE STORY
FROM ALPHA NEWS .
>> STORY IS THIS STORY AND IT
NAMES LAUREN AS THE WOMAN
CHARGED WITH WRITING ASSAULT
AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT. HOW
>> COULD I BE CHARGED
FOR SOMETHING? AND THE
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE HAVE NEVER
COME TO ASK ME ABOUT IT. HOW IS
THAT POSSIBLE? YES
>>, LAUREN SAID SHE WAS NAMED
AND CHARGED WITH CRIMES WITHOUT
EVER GETTING A PHONE CALL, AN
EMAIL OR A VISIT BY
INVESTIGATORS
INVESTIGATORS >>. I NEVER HEARD FROM ANYONE.
NO ONE WANTED MY SIDE OF THE
STORY. ACCORDING TO THE
COMPLAINT THAT I READ, THEY GOT
A TIP. THEY PROCEEDED TO LOOK AT
MY MY DRIVER'S LICENSE PHOTO
AND MY FACEBOOK AND THEN THEY
CHARGED ME
CHARGED ME >>. SHE'S RIGHT IN THE CHARGING
DOCUMENTS, IT STATES A TIP WAS
GIVEN TO AUTHORITIES AND A MATCH
WAS MADE TO LAUREN'S DRIVER'S
LICENSE PHOTO AND FACEBOOK
PICTURES. BUT LAUREN SAYS
>> THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE
I EVEN RECEIVED THE SUMMONS
IN THE MAIL AND I WAS RECEIVING
HATE MAIL BEFORE I EVEN KNEW
THAT I WAS CHARGED. I HAD
TO CALL A LAWYER, MY LAWYER
KELLY KEEGAN, TO CONFIRM
THAT THE CHARGES WERE EVEN REAL
BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW
>> CHARGES WERE VERY REAL. SO
LAUREN AND HER ATTORNEY PROVIDED
DOCUMENTS, THEY SAID TO PROVE
TO THE CITY WHERE LAUREN WAS
THE NIGHT OF THIS PROTEST
AND THOSE ALLEGED CRIMES
>> WAS CAMPING WITH MY HUSBAND
AND TWO OF OUR SMALL CHILDREN AT
THE TIME
THE TIME
THE TIME >>. AND LAST FRIDAY A DOCUMENT
IN COURT ARRIVED WITH LAUREN'S
NAME ON IT AGAIN. THIS ONE SAID
DISMISSAL. THE REASON WHY IT
SAID THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDER
WAS MISIDENTIFIED AS
THE PERPETRATOR AND IS NOT
THE PERSON WHO COMMITTED
THE OFFENSES CHARGED
>> GET AWAY FROM IT. SO
>> IN MANY WAYS THIS 12 DAY
NIGHTMARE FOR LAUREN IS OVER.
BUT THE DAMAGE, SHE SAYS, IS NOT
AND THAT IS WHY SHE IS TELLING
HER STORY
HER STORY
HER STORY >>. I THINK THE POLICE NEED
TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND I
DON'T KNOW ANOTHER MECHANISM AT
THIS POINT OTHER THAN TO GET
THE STORY OUT THERE AND TO
I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND
THAT THERE'S A REAL PERSON
ATTACHED WHEN YOU MESSAGE
SOMEBODY THESE HATE MESSAGES GO
TO REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL
FEELINGS AND REAL FAMILIES
AND REAL FEARS
>>. NOW OBVIOUSLY THE CITY HAD
A LOT TO SAY BECAUSE LAUREN
DIDN'T DO IT. ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT SAID LATE THIS AFTERNOON IS
IT'S ALREADY STARTED TO PROCESS
THE PROCESS TO EXPUNGE LAUREN'S
RECORD, MEANING CLEAR HER NAME
SO SHE COULD NEVER BE ATTACHED
TO SOMETHING SHE DID NOT DO .
SHE IS NOT THE WOMAN IN THAT
VIDEO. THE CITY AND THE POLICE
ALSO SENT A STATEMENT SAYING
THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
AND THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE
DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE
TO PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE TO MISS
PETERSON FOR THE HARDSHIP THEIR
ERROR HAS CAUSED BOTH HER
AND HER FAMILY. BOTH DEPARTMENTS
ARE REVIEWING WHAT OCCURRED
IN THIS