Retiring Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis president Lt. Bob Kroll said he was not in Washington, DC on Jan. 6, 2021, adding that he never even left the state that day.
He ridiculed Mayor Jacob Frey for all but celebrating his departure, saying that reflected the mayor's opinion of the MPD.
He also told WCCO's Roshini Rajkumar in his first interview since announcing his retirement that he is not a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
"These false claims out there, I laugh, but, honestly, they're troubling," Kroll said during his Sunday morning interview on WCCO's Real Talk.
Kroll agreed to discuss his retirement in an interview with Rajkumar, who is a personal friend with him and his wife, WCCO television reporter Liz Collin.
Rajkumar said her friendship with Kroll does not affect her line of questioning.
A Tweet promoting Kroll's appearance on WCCO radio drew a large number of comments, many of them critical.
Kroll's tenure has been marked with some controversial stances, including him calling Black Lives Matter a "terrorist organization," and calling George Floyd, who died in police custody, was a "violent criminal."
When he announced his resignation, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey tweeted a short message: Good riddance.
"For him to say that to me, that just shows what he thinks of the police officers," said Kroll. "And it's a shame."
Kroll had been planning retirement for 2021, one year before his term ends, noting that the union president's post had been switched recently from a two-year to a three-year appointment and that he was not planning to serve that extra year.
"It had always been planned for a May of 2021 departure, which would give me 25 years exactly on the federation board," he said. "The city offered a buyout package to all city employees. I was eligible for that and it was a nice incentive package. But you had to go by the end of January."
Kroll said the criticism that has seeped into his family life was not the reason for stepping down at this time.
"Last summer was very rough, but we persevered," he said. "These people that are out to get me, they want to destroy the lives of my family and I. My family should have no part of this."
He suggested that people calling for his wife's firing from WCCO television were not local.
"They're paid by George Soros, they're in Canada, they're in Portland, they're in Seattle, they're doing this from mom's basement, tweeting out," he said, without elaborating further.
Kroll said when he retires, he will cut all ties with the union and enjoy having free time after years of being on call and working side jobs.
"I'm out," he said. "I've had a great career."
