DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth police officer who had been placed on paid leave following two alleged incidents of sexual assault has left the force.

The Duluth Police Department had previously attempted to terminate the employment of officer Tyler Leibfried following an unrelated incident in which he shot an unarmed man through the closed door of an apartment building in September 2020. But Leibfried was found not guilty of two criminal charges subsequently brought against him and wound up being reinstated as an officer in 2023.

On Dec. 10, 2025, Duluth police confirmed Leibfried was under investigation anew, this time for allegations of sexual assault leveled by two separate women — one involving a November 2024 incident and another reported in 2021.

When contacted by the Duluth News Tribune last week with a request for an update on Leibfried’s employment status, DPD public information officer Mattie Hjelseth responded: “Effective Dec. 23, Officer Leibfried is no longer employed by the Duluth Police Department. No further information is available per MN State Statute 13.43.”

She declined to elaborate or to characterize the nature of Leibfried’s departure as the result of either a resignation, negotiated settlement or termination.

Andrew Park, president of Duluth Police LELS Local 538 — which represents rank-and-file officers at the Duluth Police Department — confirmed that “Tyler Leibfried is no longer employed by the city of Duluth. The police union has no further comment on the matter.”

The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office looked into the sexual assault allegations against Leibfried and declined to file criminal charges against him, but Leibfried still could have faced disciplinary measures for any actions deemed to violate city and police department policies/standards.

In a previous statement, Police Chief Mike Ceynowa said: “We take allegations against our officers very seriously and investigate each complaint thoroughly.”

Leibfried, 33, joined the DPD in 2016 and at least 20 complaints have been filed against him during his tenure, according to records previously released to the News Tribune.

He became the first-known law enforcement officer in the area to stand trial for an on-duty shooting but was acquitted in April 2022 on two felony charges related to the injury of then-23-year-old Jared Fyle at the Kingsley Heights apartment building in downtown Duluth.

Leibfried was responding to a report of a domestic disturbance in the building and was startled by a loud bang that emanated from the closed door of an apartment. Leibfried testified that he “100%” believed the sound was a gunshot and feared for his own safety, as well as that of his police partner at the time. He fired at the door repeatedly, striking Fyle in the shoulder.

Last year, Fyle received a $600,000 legal settlement from the city to resolve an outstanding federal lawsuit related to the case.

Even though Leibfried was cleared of criminal charges, Duluth police leadership sought to terminate his employment on the grounds that he had violated department use-of-force policies by shooting through a closed door. The Duluth Police Union successfully grieved the decision, returning Leibried to his job.

Both allegations of sexual assault stem from accusations of Leibfried trying to take advantage of women while intoxicated.

Related Articles

Sturgeon may aid in Duluth Aquarium’s resurging popularity

Duluth teen sentenced for randomly assaulting homeless man with rock

Duluth hunter charged with illegally shooting moose said he mistook it for a deer

Superior, Wis., officer shot; suspect crashes into middle school

Lutsen Lodge owner arrested, charged with arson, insurance fraud

By KELVIN CHAN, Associated Press Business Writer

LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is preventing most users from generating or editing any images after a global backlash that erupted after it started spewing sexualized deepfakes of people.

FILE – Workers install lighting on an “X” sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, July 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

The chatbot, which is accessed through Musk’s social media platform X, has in the past few weeks been granting a wave of what researchers say are malicious user requests to modify images, including putting women in bikinis or in sexually explicit positions.

Researchers have warned that in a few cases, some images appeared to depict children. Governments around the world have condemned the platform and opened investigations into the platform.

On Friday, Grok was responding to image altering requests with the message: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.”

While subscriber numbers for Grok aren’t publicly available, there was a noticeable decline in the number of explicit deepfakes that Grok is now generating compared with days earlier.

The European Union has slammed Grok for “illegal” and “appalling” behavior, while officials in France, India, Malaysia and a Brazilian lawmaker have called for investigations.

On Thursday, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer threatened unspecified action against X.

Related Articles

3 takeaways from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s Minnesota visit

Minnesota adds 8,900 jobs from Sept.-Nov.; state data release delayed

China to probe Meta’s acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus

Google adds new AI features to Gmail, turning it into a personal assistant

Elon Musk’s xAI to build $20 billion data center in Mississippi

“This is disgraceful. It’s disgusting. And it’s not to be tolerated,” Starmer said on Greatest Hits radio. “X has got to get a grip of this.”

He said media regulator Ofcom “has our full support to take action” and that “all options” are on the table.

“It’s disgusting. X need to get their act together and get this material down. We will take action on this because it’s simply not tolerable.”

Ofcom and Britain’s privacy regulator both said this week they’ve contacted X and Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI for information on measures they’ve taken to comply with British regulations.

Grok is free to use for X users, who can ask it questions on the social media platform. They can either tag it in posts they’ve directly created or in replies to posts from other users.

Grok launched in 2023. Last summer the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, that included a so-called “spicy mode” that can generate adult content.

The problem is amplified both because Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative to rivals with more safeguards, and because Grok’s images are publicly visible, and can therefore be easily spread.

By WAFAA SHURAFA, Associated Press

DEIR AL BALAH (AP) — Israeli strikes across Gaza have killed at least 13 people, according to health officials, as U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to announce his Board of Peace to oversee the fragile ceasefire.

Health officials and family members said at least one child was among the dead in northern Gaza following several strikes there as well as east of Gaza City. All 13 people were killed on Thursday.

Palestinians attend the funeral of Abdullah Al-Abdullah, his brother Omar, and their aunt Lian Abu Shaqra at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, after they were killed in an Israeli military strike, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israel’s army said Friday that it struck Hamas infrastructure and fighters in southern and northern Gaza in response to a failed projectile launched by militants from the Gaza City area.

The phased ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains in its initial stage as efforts continue to recover the remains of the final Israeli hostage in Gaza.

Officials say that Trump is expected to announce next week his appointments to his Board of Peace, which he has said he will head, marking an important step forward for his Middle East peace plan. The process has moved slowly since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect nearly three months ago.

The U.S. official and another official spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov would be the board’s “designated” director-general. Mladenov is a former Bulgarian defense and foreign minister who served as the U.N. envoy to Iraq before being appointed as the U.N. Mideast peace envoy from 2015-2020. During that time, he had good working relations with Israel and frequently worked to ease Israel-Hamas tensions.

Under Trump’s plan, the board would supervise a new technocratic Palestinian government, the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international security force, additional pullbacks of Israeli troops and reconstruction. The U.S. has reported little progress on any of these fronts so far.

Related Articles

Iran judiciary chief vows there will be ‘decisive’ punishment for protesters

Today in History: January 9, Americans arrive in Lingayen Gulf during World War II

UN says the US has ‘legal obligation’ to fund agencies after Trump withdraws from several

Israel says Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov to direct Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza

Venezuela releases some journalists and activists from prison as a gesture to ‘seek peace’

On Thursday, Egyptian and European Union leaders met in Cairo and urged the deployment of the international stabilization force. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that Hamas still refused to disarm and called the situation “extremely severe.”

Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, which took effect on Oct. 10. Continued Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed more than 400 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

The Israeli military says any actions since the ceasefire began have been in response to violations of the agreement.

Relatives and health officials say an 11-year-old girl who dreamed of becoming a doctor, a teenage girl and two boys in a tent camp were among those killed on Thursday. At least a dozen others were injured, hospital officials said.

On Friday relatives wept over the bodies of a 16-year-old girl and her two nephews who were killed in their tent in southern Gaza.

“What safety? What truce?” said Rudaina al-Qedra, the mother and grandmother of the deceased.

Other Palestinians who Israel had told to evacuate before the strikes returned to their tents in Gaza City trying to salvage their belongings. Some dug into the dirt with shovels and other with bare hands.

“We returned and couldn’t find our tents, our clothes, or our food,” Abu Tareq Erouq said. “We have been digging since the morning, and we couldn’t find anything.”

By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader signaled Friday that security forces would crack down on protesters, directly challenging U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to support those peacefully demonstrating.

Related Articles

Israeli strikes kill at least 13 across Gaza, as Trump is expected to announce Board of Peace

Today in History: January 9, Americans arrive in Lingayen Gulf during World War II

UN says the US has ‘legal obligation’ to fund agencies after Trump withdraws from several

Israel says Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov to direct Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza

Venezuela releases some journalists and activists from prison as a gesture to ‘seek peace’

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed Trump as having hands “stained with the blood of Iranians” as supporters shouted “Death to America!” in footage aired by Iranian state television. State media later repeatedly referred to demonstrators as “terrorists,” setting the stage for a violent crackdown like those that have followed other nationwide protests in recent years.

Protesters are “ruining their own streets … in order to please the president of the United States,” Khamenei said to a crowd at his compound in Tehran. “Because he said that he would come to their aid. He should pay attention to the state of his own country instead.”

Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei separately vowed that punishment for protesters “will be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency.”

There was no immediate response from Washington, though Trump has repeated his pledge to strike Iran if protesters are killed, a threat that’s taken on greater significance after the U.S. military raid that seized Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.

Internet cut off

Despite Iran’s theocracy cutting off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls, short online videos shared by activists purported to show protesters chanting against Iran’s government around bonfires as debris littered the streets in the capital, Tehran, and other areas into Friday morning. Iranian state media alleged “terrorist agents” of the U.S. and Israel set fires and sparked violence. It also said there were “casualties,” without elaborating.

The full scope of the demonstrations couldn’t be immediately determined due to the communications blackout, though it represented yet another escalation in protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy and that has morphed into the most significant challenge to the government in several years. The protests have intensified steadily since beginning Dec. 28.

The protests also represented the first test of whether the Iranian public could be swayed by Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose fatally ill father fled Iran just before the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Pahlavi, who called for the protests Thursday night, similarly has called for demonstrations at 8 p.m. Friday.

Demonstrations have included cries in support of the shah, something that could bring a death sentence in the past but now underlines the anger fueling the protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy.

So far, violence around the demonstrations has killed at least 42 people while more than 2,270 others have been detained, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

“What turned the tide of the protests was former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s calls for Iranians to take to the streets at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday,” said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Per social media posts, it became clear that Iranians had delivered and were taking the call seriously to protest in order to oust the Islamic Republic.”

“This is exactly why the internet was shut down: to prevent the world from seeing the protests. Unfortunately, it also likely provided cover for security forces to kill protesters.”

Thursday night protests preceded internet shutdown

When the clock struck 8 p.m. Thursday, neighborhoods across Tehran erupted in chanting, witnesses said. The chants included “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to the Islamic Republic!” Others praised the shah, shouting: “This is the last battle! Pahlavi will return!” Thousands could be seen on the streets before all communication to Iran cut out.

“Iranians demanded their freedom tonight. In response, the regime in Iran has cut all lines of communication,” Pahlavi said. “It has shut down the internet. It has cut landlines. It may even attempt to jam satellite signals.”

He went on to call for European leaders to join U.S. President Donald Trump in promising to “hold the regime to account.”

“I call on them to use all technical, financial, and diplomatic resources available to restore communication to the Iranian people so that their voice and their will can be heard and seen,” he added. “Do not let the voices of my courageous compatriots be silenced.”

Pahlavi had said he would offer further plans depending on the response to his call. His support of and from Israel has drawn criticism in the past — particularly after the 12-day war Israel waged on Iran in June. Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some demonstrations, but it isn’t clear whether that’s support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The internet cut also appears to have taken Iran’s state-run and semiofficial news agencies offline as well. The state TV acknowledgment at 8 a.m. Friday represented the first official word about the demonstrations.

State TV claimed the protests saw violence that caused casualties but did not elaborate. It also said the protests saw “people’s private cars, motorcycles, public places such as the metro, fire trucks and buses set on fire.” State TV later reported that violence overnight killed six people in Hamedan, some 280 kilometers (175 miles) southwest of Tehran.

Trump renews threat over protester deaths

Iran has faced rounds of nationwide protests in recent years. As sanctions tightened and Iran struggled after the 12-day war, its rial currency collapsed in December, reaching 1.4 million to $1. Protests began soon after, with demonstrators chanting against Iran’s theocracy.

It remains unclear why Iranian officials have yet to crack down harder on the demonstrators. Trump warned last week that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” America “will come to their rescue.”

In an interview with talk show host Hugh Hewitt aired Thursday, Trump reiterated his pledge.

Iran has “been told very strongly, even more strongly than I’m speaking to you right now, that if they do that, they’re going to have to pay hell,” Trump said.

Trump demurred when asked if he’d meet with Pahlavi.

“I’m not sure that it would be appropriate at this point to do that as president,” Trump said. “I think that we should let everybody go out there, and we see who emerges.”

Speaking in an interview with Sean Hannity aired Thursday night on Fox News, Trump went as far as to suggest 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may be looking to leave Iran.

“He’s looking to go someplace,” Trump said. “It’s getting very bad.”