The Brooklyn Park City Council wants one of its members to undergo a mental health evaluation after displaying “disconcerting” behavior over the past year.
Mayor Hollies Winston read a letter to West District Councilwoman Maria Tran at Monday’s City Council meeting in which she alleged that council members and city staff were plotting to kill her and that she would bring guns to the City Council meeting. He suggested that he take such action after expressing interest in the matter.
“As a council, we have security concerns,” Winston said before reading the letter. “This is not a fun topic to bring up. We’re not mental health experts, but we’ve seen some things that are concerning to us.”
Tran was accused in June of violating the City Council’s code of conduct and the city’s Respectful Workplace Policy. Following the accusations, Tran has either absented himself from City Council meetings or attended them remotely, as he did on Monday. She previously claimed that the complaints and grievances she filed with city leadership were not investigated. She has also filed multiple police reports against staff and city council members and is concerned for her safety.
In a Sept. 18 email to City Manager Jay Strobel with the subject line “City Council Mafia,” Tran said she felt her life was in danger, adding, He wrote that there was a “conspiracy to silence him” and that drug use was a contributing factor. Died at City Hall.
In a separate incident, Tran filed a complaint alleging that he wanted to punch City Councilman Christian Eriksen. Brooklyn Center police investigated the allegations.
“Don’t say the complaint isn’t being investigated, because the complaint is being investigated,” Ericksen said at Monday’s meeting.
Tran’s actions drew attention after he allegedly approached a Brooklyn Park police sergeant to obtain permission to obtain a firearm. Tran told the sergeant that he needed a gun because he was worried about being attacked by the city council. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said at Monday’s meeting that Tran’s theme was “paranoia,” but no evidence was found to support her claims.
