PLYMOUTH, Minn. – October 4, 2022 – Minnesota Attorney General candidate Jim Schultz today called for the denial of parole for the killers of Officer Jerry Haaf. On September 25, 1992 Amwati “Pepi” Mckenzie and Shannon Bowles approached Haaf in a Minneapolis pizza parlor and shot Haaf in the back. Mckenzie and Bowles fled as Officer Haaf, mortally wounded, called for help on his portable radio. Officer Haaf died two hours later. He was just three months away from retirement. McKenzie’s parole hearing is scheduled for November and Bowles’ hearing is expected in the near future. Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell has unilateral authority over the parole decision.
“Jerry Haaf was a husband, father, and true public servant and these killers took his life simply because he was a cop,” said Schultz. “Mckenzie and Bowles should never again breathe outside their prison walls, and I call upon Commissioner Paul Schnell to ensure that parole is denied. Under current law, convicted cop killers are sentenced to life without parole, and that is what justice demands for these two convicted murderers.”
“I also call upon Keith Ellison to join me in demanding justice in this case. Keith Ellison has had a troubling history related to individuals associated with Jerry Haaf’s killing, including representing a man implicated in the murder. However, as Attorney General, Ellison must step forward to publicly state that Mckenzie and Bowles must not receive parole.”
Individuals wishing to join Schultz in calling for Mckenzie and Bowles to remain in prison can send letters to the below contacts:
Submit an electronic letter via email to paroleinputpublic.hru.doc@state.mn.us.
Mail a letter to:
MN Department of Corrections
ATTN: Aubrey Steckelberg – Parole Input
1450 Energy Park Drive Suite 200
St. Paul, MN 55108
