Mark Patrick Sinclair

May 11, 1987

South St. Paul

According to newspaper accounts, someone at a bar called police because Sinclair, age 29, was drunk and was about to drive away.  Police arrived and arrested Sinclair, who walked voluntarily to the police car.  He was not handcuffed or searched.  One arresting officer claimed he held up a gun-shaped lighter in the back of he squad car, another officer and other bystanders said his hands were empty and that it was one of the officers who held up the lighter to light a cigarette for Sinclair.  Sgt. Gregory Mohrland pulled Sinclair from the car and then shot him.