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Family member urges Moorhead council to seek independent review of 2009 shooting in public comment
Summary
A Moorhead resident urged the City Council on June 23 to seek independent reviews and civilian oversight after alleging that local officials failed to pursue justice in the 2009 shooting death of his brother.
At the June 23 Moorhead City Council meeting, resident Jeremy Laframboise delivered a public comment urging the council to confront what he described as failures by local law enforcement and the county attorney’s office in the investigation of his brother Joel’s 2009 shooting.
Laframboise identified his brother as a 17‑year‑old Native American who was shot and killed in Moorhead and accused the shooter, named in his remarks as Vernon Allen, and local officials of withholding evidence. He said his family learned years later that the shooter had been under the influence of Ambien, and he alleged that the Moorhead Police Department under Detective Ryan Nelson and the county attorney’s office (Laframboise named Bridal Melton) “kept it from us intentionally.” He also said the medical examiner found no evidence of a struggle or defensive wounds and questioned the justification for deadly force. Laframboise said: “The truth matters, and the people of Moorhead deserve to hear the truth.”
Laframboise asked the council to publicly acknowledge failures, support independent investigations of the conduct of every agency and official involved, implement civilian oversight of use‑of‑force cases, and refer suppressed evidence to state and federal authorities for full review. His remarks were delivered during the citizens addressing the council item and were recorded on the meeting transcript.
Mayor Shelley Carlson offered condolences and said the police chief was present; she encouraged Laframboise to meet with the chief so the chief could gather more information. No formal council action on Laframboise’s requests is recorded in the June 23 transcript.
All allegations cited in this article are attributed to Laframboise’s public comment. The transcript records his requests to the council and the mayor’s invitation to meet with the police chief; this article does not independently verify the factual claims made in the public comment.
