Metro Protests continue more than a month after Yia Xiong’s police killing in St. Paul

By Cole Miska

Contributing Writer

Protests in St. Paul continue more than a month after the killing of a 65-year-old Hmong man, Yia Xiong, by officers from the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD). Over 100 people gathered in the Capitol rotunda Friday afternoon, March 24, to call for the arrest and charges filed against the two officers involved in the shooting.

Xiong was shot on Feb. 11 in the door of his apartment in Winslow Commons Apartments, a community home for the elderly and disabled, after a 911 call was placed saying a resident threatened others at a party with a knife.

Xiong walked to his apartment after officers arrived, and briefly entered it. Officer Noushue Cha kicked open the apartment door, and when Xiong emerged holding a knife, Officer Abdirahman Dahir fired his rifle, killing Xiong.

Snowdon Herr, chief organizer for the Justice for Yia Xiong organization, said the situation could have been handled differently. He called SPPD’s handling of the incident “irresponsible,” noting that Xiong was hard of hearing and did not speak fluent English.

Herr criticized officer Cha, who is also Hmong, for not attempting to speak with Xiong in Hmong. Herr also says the knife Xiong was carrying was a “cuaj puam,” which is a type of traditional Hmong “Riam” (literally translated as “knife”) that nearly every Hmong family owns. A cuaj puam is commonly used for cutting meat, wood, or plants while gardening.

“The community is really upset and felt terrible and devastated that Yia Xiong was killed call and report, and they might get killed just like Yia Xiong.” Herr says momentum for the protests has been growing, noting that fewer than 10 people came to the first protest in February. offering support.

“I’ve been with his family as they break down crying,” Garraway Allen said during Friday’s protest. “I was with his brother and his sisters today and his nephew and his wife. And Mr. Xiong had children and it’s hard to see them all crying and just going through what so many of our families have gone through.”

Garraway Allen called the killing “wrong on so many levels.” since his uncle’s death.

“I just feel like the situation could’ve got handled a little differently,” Garraway Allen said.

“My family has been trying to make sense of a loss that should’ve never happened,” Charles said. “It’s a pain that no family should ever have to endure knowing that a loved one was senselessly taken away, that their life was cut short by the very people that swore to protect them.

“These officers arrived on scene with disregard for my uncle’s life and they killed him in a matter of minutes, in less time than my speech today. If they had just taken a little bit of time to assess what was going on they would’ve seen that my uncle Yia was of no harm to anybody.” so easily,” Herr said. “The elders of the community who are going to be doing their gardening in summer and in the springtime are also afraid that when they use their knife outside their homes or apartments doing their gardening, someone might

Toshira Garraway Allen, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence (FSFAPV), was one of the organizers of the protest last month. Garraway Allen has been in contact with Xiong’s family and has been