Medtronic Sued Over Bomb Scare Probe

A former Medtronic employee has sued the company, two employees and local police, claiming that they falsely accused him of making bomb threats against a company building in Brooklyn Park, MN.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota by former Medtronic employee Chia Doua Yang, is related to telephone bomb threats made on January 21 and 22, 2013 to Medtronic's customer service number. Brooklyn Park police found no bombs inside the building, according to the suit.

Human Resources director Jennifer Maier Johnson suggested to police that Yang might be a suspect because of his recent departure due to a disability, the suit alleges, although neither she nor Yang's former direct supervisor could initially identify Yang's voice from the recorded phone calls.

After Yang's former supervisor left the room, "Johnson abruptly changed her mind and claimed that the caller must be" Yang, the suit says. Another employee also identified Yang as the caller.

The calls came two different phone numbers at New River Medical Center in Monticello, MN. Before viewing a copy of hospital surveillance video that allegedly recorded the January 21 bomb threat, Brooklyn Park police obtained a search warrant for Yang and his home, seeking bomb-making devices, the suit says.

Although police found no traces of bomb-making materials, they arrested Yang and kept him in jail for two days, the suit says. When Yang was in jail, police viewed the hospital video and determined Yang did not make the phone calls. He was released the following day, and another Medtronic employee was arrested, the suit says.

Yang's lawsuit claims false arrest, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution, violated his civil rights.

"We have received the complaint and believe it has no merit," Medtronic spokesperson Cindy Resman wrote in an email to Qmed. When contacted by the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park police had no comment.

Nancy Crotti is a contributor to Qmed and MPMN.

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