Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green Resigns After Investigations
Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green has resigned from his post effective Friday, Oct. 3.
Green had been on administrative leave since May for pending two investigations into his conduct.
According to newly released documents, Green was placed on leave after he was accused of interfering with an internal affairs investigation.
Separately, Green was accused of improperly releasing police body camera footage to Twin Cities television station KTSP during an investigation. Although it was not a factor in the city’s investigation into his actions, Green gave that same unredacted body cam footage to CCX News.
The city plans to hire an interim chief, according to a press release. Assistant Chiefs Alice White and Rudy Perez, who ran the department while Green was on leave, will continue to head the organization.
“Chief Green joined us at a critical time, and we thank him for all he did for the City of Golden Valley, its police force and the community in his time here,” said City Manager Noah Schuchman.
Green has been police chief in Golden Valley since 2022.
He was hired as the police department faced a staffing crisis. More than half of the department’s officers had left before he was hired.
Green made history as the city’s first Black police chief. His hiring was marred by a tense selection process in which there was disagreement on candidate support.
Virgil Green was hired as police chief in Golden Valley in 2022. He resigned effective Oct. 3.
Internal Affairs Investigation
The city hired Michelle M. Soldo of Soldo Consulting to conduct third-party investigations into the two accusations against Green.
One of those accusations is that he attempted to halt an internal investigation. The nature of that internal investigation has been redacted in public documents.
Green conducted one interview with Soldo, but refused to participate in a follow-up interview.
Soldo found that Green “improperly interfered in the GVPD’s internal investigation of the alleged [redacted], attempting to quash the investigation by intimidation directives and side dealing, conduct that contravenes City policies and state law.”
At times, Green told his staff he wanted to drop the internal investigation. At other times, he told his staff they were not to contact the city’s human resources department or the city’s legal team regarding the investigation.
Green himself did not tell the city manager about the investigation until 20 days after it began.
According to Soldo, Green improperly discussed the investigation with several sergeants who had no need for the information.
Meanwhile, he sent emails to sergeants conducting the internal investigation that were “perceived as intimidating and threatening.”
“I find this very unprofessional, disrespectful and inappropriate that prior to your interview with [the subject of the internal investigation] you didn’t feel the need to talk to me in person and ask me the same line of questions that you asked him,” Green wrote in one email. “Either way you don’t have the authority to ask any officer what they were talking with me about, that doesn’t meet my expectations from you as a [redacted] and it’s concerning. “
Once Green was placed on leave, he allegedly violated the terms of his leave by contacting a police sergeant.
“Chief Green’s call to and discussions (directly and through his Attorney) with the Sergeant constitute prohibited interference,” Soldo wrote.
Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green was hired as the police department faced a staffing crisis. More than half of the department’s officers had left before he was hired.
Body Camera Footage
In Nov. 2024, a fight at Highview Academy in Golden Valley that allegedly involved brass knuckles left a student with stitches and concussion.
Golden Valley police investigated the incident, and Green later gave copies of related body camera footage to television media outlets including KTSP and CCX News.
In an interview with CCX, Green said he felt an assistant principal at the school had obstructed their investigation. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office declined to bring charges in that case.
According to Soldo, Green’s release of the unredacted footage violated city policy and state law.
“BWC video related to an active investigation is ‘confidential’ or ‘non-public data’ that is not subject to review and release until the conclusion of the investigation,” Soldo wrote.
See also: Golden Valley Mayor Raises Concerns About Police Staffing with Chief Still on Leave
