Update: David Martinez was arrested at a Minnesota Twins game and banned from Target Field one day after library arrest

A candidate for St. Paul City Council has been banned from the city’s public library system for a month following his arrest at the downtown George Latimer Central Library.

David Martinez — who has described the July 5 incident at length in his campaign blog — says he was sticking up for a teenager who was being unfairly ejected from the library.

A St. Paul police report describes Martinez as verbally combative toward at least two librarians.

Library staff told police officers responding to the scene that Martinez screamed “‘(Expletive) you!’ multiple times very loudly just inches from their faces,” according to the arrest report.

Interviewed by phone by a reporter Tuesday, Martinez acknowledged that the face-to-face swearing did occur.

Martinez was arrested at the library, cited for disorderly conduct and soon released, according to the report.

On his campaign blog, Martinez posted a letter he received from library director Catherine Penkert indicating he was banned from the library system for a month:

“You repeatedly and aggressively yelled profanities at three library staff persons at such a volume that it could be heard over three floors of the library, including the children’s area. You then refused to leave when asked by staff, prompting them to call the police to escort you from the building.”

Martinez, in his blog, said he encountered a white security guard ordering a black teen to leave the library for allegedly vandalizing library signage and equipment.

The teen, who had papers in his hand, said he had done nothing wrong and was in the library for research. Martinez attempted to intervene but was told to leave. Two librarians also became involved.

The candidate’s blog goes on to say:

“I said, ‘No, we are not leaving. This young man is here conducting research for a project and you are kicking him out of the library?! What is wrong with you people?! No wonder our African-American students are not achieving academically — we’re (expletive) kicking them out of the public libraries.’”

“All three caucasian/white library staff people chuckled and (in unison) replied, ‘Sir, you need to leave now!'”

“I replied by saying, ‘No, I am not leaving and you need to reflect on what you are doing here…”

“Before I knew it, the St. Paul Police Department was on the scene (literally 5 minutes after the conversation started – nice response times boys!) I was surrounded by 7 big burly caucasian/white guys, all 200 lbs+ with tattoos and big bulging biceps.” Related Articles Ford Foundation grants $2.5 million to St. Paul’s Penumbra Theatre, a record for the Black arts organization

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When he declined a police officer’s request to leave the library, Martinez said he was ordered to put his hands behind his back, handcuffed and placed in the back of a squad car for 30 minutes.

Martinez, a Hamline-Midway resident who is currently a project consultant with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, will appear on the Aug. 14 special election ballot for the 4th Ward seat on the city council.

Mitra Jalali Nelson and Shirley Erstad are also in the running for the seat, which was previously held by Russ Stark, who resigned to work for the mayor’s office.