RETIRED COP ARRESTED IN $4 MILLION DRUG BUST

He Surrenders After Meth, Cocaine Found At Bus Depot

A retired St. Paul police officer well known in local boxing circles
turned himself in to Minneapolis police Wednesday in connection with
a $4 million drug bust.

Police summoned to the downtown Minneapolis bus depot Friday about a
suspicious package found 22 pounds of cocaine and 8 pounds of
methamphetamine inside and linked it to Clemmie Howard Tucker, 55, of
St. Paul, police said.

"This is a huge narcotics seizure, one of the largest in Minneapolis
narcotics history," said Capt. Rich Stanek. "That's a lot of drugs to
take off the streets."

Tucker was a St. Paul police officer for more than 20 years. He boxed
in the Golden Gloves and ran the now-defunct B.T. Bombers gym in St.
Paul. His son, a former professional boxer, pleaded guilty earlier
this year to murdering his girlfriend in June 2005.

Friends of the elder Tucker, who has been retired for several years,
said they were stunned by his arrest.

Retired St. Paul police Sgt. Melvin Carter Jr., who attended the
police academy with Tucker in 1975, said he hopes there has been a
mistake or misunderstanding.

"My first suspicion is that he didn't know what was inside the
package," he said.

Police said the package apparently arrived at the Greyhound Depot,
950 Hawthorne Ave., by bus. Security staff told officers a man had
attempted to pick up the package but did not have proper identification.

With a description of the man and the license plate number of the
vehicle he left in, police identified Tucker as their suspect, police said.

Narcotics officers had not talked with Tucker before he showed up at
the Hennepin County jail about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Stanek said.

"I think he knew we were looking for him," Stanek said. "We had
knocked on a few doors in St. Paul looking for him."

Tucker was booked at the Hennepin County jail, and the case will be
presented to the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecution, police said.
His family could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Friends described Tucker as an upbeat man and said they didn't see
signs that he was involved in criminal activity.

"He worked so hard and he helped a lot of kids," said Wayne Bebeau,
who bought a building on Thomas Avenue to house Tucker's gym. "If you
ever needed something, all you needed to do was call him and he was there."

Tucker regarded B.T. Bombers as a kind of safe haven.

"We go out and get the kids," he said in 1992. "We pick them up and
bring them to the gym daily. There is no doubt many of them would be
in trouble otherwise."

Brian Brunette, who runs Brunette Boxing Gym in St. Paul, said he has
known Tucker for most of his life and considers him an upstanding citizen.

"I'm not into judging people, but he always behaved himself when he
was around me," he said.

Tucker grew up in Omaha, Neb., and was on his own at age 16. He got
his own apartment and put himself through high school.

"I pumped gas, washed cars and did whatever it took to get by," he
said in 1995.

As a police officer, Tucker used his boxing skills to assist Carter
in self-defense classes for officers.

Tucker trained his son in boxing. Clemmie Tucker Jr., now 34, pleaded
guilty of second-degree unintentional murder in the death of his
girlfriend, Angelina B. Garley, 27. Brooklyn Park police found her in
a car, shot in the chest, in June 2005. Tucker Jr. isn't expected to
be released from state prison until 2018.

Though the elder Tucker worried about his son after his arrest, as a
police officer he had "been around a lot and learned to accept if
somebody's done something, they have to pay for it," Bebeau said.

Clemmie Tucker Jr. hadn't been a "troublesome person" before the
murder, Carter said.

"It's not like you can say that's the way they've (the family's)
always been and this kind of thing was inevitable," he said. "My
heart and prayers go out to his family."