Category: Investigative
Unscathed: How the Press Helps Hide Target’s Harm [Film]
This 30-minute short film examines the role of the mainstream media in denying the voices of Black youths and adults in Minneapolis. The press serves as an intermediary between the multinational retail giant Target Corp., who funds draconian policing and prosecution, and local government. Experts…
Docs Show MPD Communicating With Military About Boogaloo Members
Minneapolis, MN – A ‘Boogaloo Bois’ member interview during 2020 unrest in Minneapolis triggered a wave of intra-agency information sharing which ultimately connected to a federal investigation and indictments. Documents obtained by Unicorn Riot, including emails from the Minneapolis Police (MPD) sent to the FBI,…
🦄 Global, Investigative, Tech
Hacks in Wartime: Railroad & Radio Jamming, Industrial Systems Targeted Amid Russia-Ukraine War
Several days of war triggered by the Russian Federation invading Ukraine have led to turmoil in financial markets and new policies barring Russian businesses and aviation from Western countries, while shadowy hacks and ‘information warfare’ add to the chaos.
We took a scan of the…
Amir Locke’s Killer Gave Illicit Drugs to Protesters in 2012 Scandal
Minneapolis, MN – Mark Hanneman, the Minneapolis Police officer who killed Amir Locke while executing a pre-dawn no-knock warrant, was heavily involved in giving illicit drugs to unhoused people and Occupy Wall Street protesters in 2012. At the time, Hanneman was an officer in the…
Patriot Front Leaks Reveal Group’s Ideology: “Jews attack all things good in this world”
Documents newly obtained by Unicorn Riot reveal the underlying beliefs and intentions of the fascist and white nationalist group Patriot Front. Through examining the organization’s initiation process and the ideological standards it seeks to maintain, it’s clear that their attempts at having a professional image…
January 6 Documents Reveal Plans to Overturn 2020 Election as Military Questions Deepen
Washington, D.C. – Clearer evidence is slowly emerging from January 6, 2021, when hundreds of organized far-right rioters raided the U.S. Capitol while top-level military authorities hesitated to respond. New documents produced in recent days for the Congressional Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th…
KARE 11 Outed a Whistleblower to the Minneapolis Police. He Killed Himself.
A Minneapolis city employee blew the whistle, and killed himself after he was identified and fired. Nearly six years later, there has been no official accountability nor substantive media coverage of this corrupt investigation.
Alan Ditty—union pipefitter, dedicated worker, son and brother*— died on March…
Private Mercenary Group Targets, Assaults, & Detains Anti-Police Protesters in Uptown Minneapolis
Conflict Resolution Group (CRG), the private security firm run by ex-mercenaries and hired by property owners, has assaulted, detained, threatened community members in Minneapolis.
“Abortion is Sacred:” The Past and Present of Reproductive Rights
When the topic of reproductive health pops up in U.S. news—usually with conservative states trying to limit its access—it’s easy to forget, or perhaps many haven’t learned, that less than 150 years ago, the now polarizing hot-button issue of abortion was a widely accepted part…
School Board Disruptions Escalate, Funded By Conservative Dark Money
An escalating series of demonstrations focusing on COVID-19 restrictions in public schools have created dangerous and chaotic conditions for school boards across the country in recent months. Egged on by a cadre of right-wing influencers, concerned parents from across the right-wing spectrum have flocked to…
Ruby Montoya Seeks to Withdraw Guilty Plea, Citing Coercion, Entrapment and Mental Health
Iowa City, IA – On August 26, admitted Dakota Access Pipeline saboteur Ruby Montoya filed a motion in federal court seeking to withdraw her guilty plea, claiming she was coerced into signing it by her previous attorneys, movement “leaders”, and her abusive father. The motion…
🦄 Eco, Investigative
Line 3 Fusion Center Data Declared Secret
St. Paul, MN – Almost all records held by Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) related to the environmentally harmful Enbridge Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline are classified as secret, according to memos provided to Unicorn Riot as part of a denial of public…
Leaked ‘III% Security Force’ Chats Show Fractured Militia Thirsty for Violence
Douglasville, GA – Leaked chats from inside the III% Security Force (III%SF), one of the main factions of the loose-knit Three Percenter movement, provide a look inside one of the more violent far-right militias active in the USA. While voicing a desire to attack and…
Shame Games: Minneapolis Police Mock Community Engagement Officer
Minneapolis, MN – Newly released body camera footage from officers in the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) reveals a gang-like culture denigrating a central command community engagement officer. The videos also show a litany of micro-aggressions towards protesters, the general public and show the main aggressor,…
FBI Spy Plane Circled Minneapolis in Lead-Up to Chauvin Trial, Identified by Air Traffic Audio
Minneapolis, MN – The morning of Thursday, March 4, saw Minneapolitans waking up to the noise of a surveillance aircraft circling. The spy plane circled from around 9:15 a.m. until departing the airspace just after noon. There are likely to be similar flights in the…
Four Facts about Cieha Taylor’s Disappearance
Plant City, FL – Nearly one year ago 28-year-old Cieha Taylor’s black 2000 Toyota Solara was found parked on railroad tracks with the engine running; her cell phone, debit card and keys were inside. In researching this case, we came across four details which stood…