AALC President: St. Kate's Guard's Lie Was 'A Hideous Crime'

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Leaders within the African-American community say the lie told by a security guard at St. Catherine University highlights a much bigger problem in society.

Police say 25-year-old Brent Ahlers admitted to accidentally shooting himself while at work Tuesday night. But when he called 911, he said a black man in a sweatshirt with a short Afro did it. St. Paul police put the St. Kate's campus on lockdown while officers looked for a suspect the guard falsely described.

"This was a hideous crime by this man, he could have gotten an African-American male hurt or worse," African-American Leadership Council President Tyrone Terrill said.

Community leaders condemned the accusation. They said there is a long history of being falsely accused of crimes, and it needs to stop.