Native Community Protests MPLS Security Company Who Beat, Maced, and Cuffed Indigenous Man
Minneapolis, MN — On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, an Indigenous man was visiting the Franklin Library when he was reported to have been slammed headfirst into the ground multiple times, as well as maced and handcuffed by the security company Black Knight Protection Agency until police arrived. The facility is a Hennepin County Library at 1314 E. Franklin Avenue. Protests are now planned for a daily basis at 1 p.m. at the library.
In a Facebook live video from Nicole Mason, the man handcuffed to the fence was being helped from the community. A person was seen dousing his eyes in milk and water to counteract the mace’s effects. The reason for the “brutal force,” the community said, was because of an active trespass order, but there was “no compassion” in the way their Native people are treated.
Protesters holding signs reading “Fire Black Knight” could be seen in front of the library where the incident occurred. Community leader Nicole Mason said that they have trained Many Shields Society members who could replace the current security arrangement. (The Many Shields Society meets every Monday at the nearby Minneapolis American Indian Center, 1530 E. Franklin Avenue.)
She recommended that the community “get them out of there and put our own people in there,” and added, “Only our people understand our people.”
Moe, an Indigenous “street advocate,” attempted to call Black Knight Protection Agency, but they wouldn’t return his calls. They got in contact with a supervisor, and their excuse was reportedly, “You can’t really blame them because they don’t have proper training.” He said this isn’t the first time something like this has happened, but it’s the first time a lot of people have seen it at once.
Minnesota’s Private Detective and Protective Agents Board, under the Department of Public Safety, enforces training standards for “protective agents.” According to public records, Black Knight holds license 2132 and was licensed on May 30, 2020, five days after George Floyd’s murder in South Minneapolis touched off the largest unrest seen in decades in Minnesota. A contract issued to Black Knight Protection Agency from Hennepin County during 2021 to 2024 was to “provide security officer services” and was in the amount of 6 million dollars.
Security was recently seen taking issue with Nicole Mason’s smudging activity around the library’s entrance. She said that multiple violent events occurred: “They’ve beaten up other unhoused relatives here at the library.”
Unicorn Riot reached out to Black Knight Protection Agency and they said “they weren’t allowed to answer questions” and to redirect any questions to Hennepin County. They publicly noted on an internet review board that their agent did not mace the individual. Activists say they plan on protesting daily at 1 p.m.
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