Former Carlton County Sheriff’s Deputy and Current City of Carlton Mayor Mike Soderstrom Responds to Report on 2018 Threatening Conduct

Carlton Mayor Mike Soderstrom has responded to Carlton County Watch’s reporting concerning a July 26, 2018 off-duty incident that resulted in a written reprimand from the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office.

Soderstrom did not dispute that his conduct was unacceptable. He stated that he apologized to the individuals involved, learned from the incident and subsequently served another six years without an on-duty or off-duty complaint.

Soderstrom also offered new context not expressly contained in the redacted records produced to Carlton County Watch. He stated that the complainant was an off-duty law-enforcement officer from another agency whom Soderstrom had known and worked with for years. Soderstrom described the complainant as a friend.

The contemporaneous disciplinary packet does not identify the complainant’s occupation or agency and does not clearly describe the men as longtime friends or former coworkers. Carlton County Watch has asked Soderstrom to provide further clarification and has requested public records that may independently verify his assertions.

Soderstrom’s statement that he apologized is supported by his 2018 administrative interview. During that interview, he said he went to the complainant’s home, admitted that his conduct was wrong and apologized personally. The same interview shows that Soderstrom acknowledged excessive alcohol consumption, impaired judgment, unacceptable behavior, and that he had no reason to question the specific accounts provided by the witnesses.

Soderstrom further stated that all Carlton city council members and department heads have offered him their full support. Carlton County Watch is contacting those officials individually to confirm their positions and clarify what they understand “full support” to mean.

Soderstrom’s response does not address whether the incident was referred to a prosecutor or outside law-enforcement agency for possible criminal review. Carlton County Watch has submitted separate press and public-data inquiries to Carlton County Sheriff Kelly Lake seeking that information.