ST. PAUL — St. Paul’s police chief has fired five officers for allegedly failing to intervene in an assault at a business.

Police Chief Todd Axtell said Thursday that officers are expected to intervene when a violent act occurs in their presence and to tell the truth.

Axtell said the community “deserves to know that its St. Paul police officers will always do the right thing and to tell the truth.”

According to a press release, the officers responded to a business where a disturbance was reported. The chief said while the officers were there, an employee of the business assaulted patrons, and the officers did not take action.

He said state law prohibits him from naming the officers.

An attorney for the St. Paul Police Federation said the officers did not deserve to be fired, and the union will fight their terminations.