Minnesota officer meant to grab Taser before shooting Black man during traffic stop, police say
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The police chief said Monday he believes a Minnesota officer wanted to use a Taser but mistakenly drew her service weapon before she fatally shot a Black man point-blank during a traffic stop.
The Brooklyn Center Police Department released body camera video of Sunday’s encounter, which ended in the death of Daunte Wright, 20, who was shot in the Minneapolis suburb about 14 miles north of where George Floyd was killed last year.
The video appeared to show Wright getting out of his car and then getting back in as officers tried to apprehend him on an undisclosed outstanding misdemeanor warrant that they discovered after they pulled him over in a traffic stop.
As Wright got back into his car, a female voice could be heard shouting “Taser!” before Wright was shot, video appeared to show.
That same female voice could be heard saying, “Holy s— I just shot him,” as the car pulled away, police said.
Police Chief Tim Gannon said he believes it is clear that the officer meant to draw a Taser but “drew their handgun instead of their Taser.”
“As I watched the video and listened to the officer’s commands, it is my belief the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet,” Gannon told reporters. “This appears to me from what I viewed and the officer’s reaction in distress immediately after that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in a tragic death of Mr. Wright.”
Mayor Mike Elliott said he wants the officer fired.
“We cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life,” Elliott said. “I do fully support releasing the officer of her duties.”
The officer was put on administrative leave. Gannon stopped just short of agreeing with the mayor’s call to terminate her, but he strongly hinted that she will not be back on the job.
“That officer is afforded due process just like anybody else does. She has the right to be heard. She has the right to give her statement. She has the right to tell what she felt, what she thought,” Gannon said.
“She will not be returning to duty until this investigation has run its course. And for all intents and purposes, I think we can look at the video and ascertain whether she’ll be returning,” he said.
The shooting will be handled by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Gannon said he believes the state investigators would have disagreed with his decision to release the body-cam video.
“The releasing of video this early … is not something that they condone,” Gannon said. “I felt the community needed to know what happened. They needed to see it. I needed to be transparent, and I wanted to be forthright.”
The identity of the officer, whom Gannon called a “very senior” member of the department, was not immediately made public.
Unrest from the deadly incident prompted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to announce a 7 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew for Hennepin, Ramsey and Anoka counties, which cover the greater Twin Cities.
Elliot also announced efforts to reorganize the city’s government on Monday. The Brooklyn Center city manager was “relieved of his duties” Elliot tweeted, but did not cite a reason for the ousting. Elliot’s office will also oversee the police department after a 3-2 vote from city council.
“At such a tough time, this will streamline things and establish a chain of command and leadership,” Elliot said. “I appreciate the other councilmembers who voted to approve this motion.”
‘Initial details are troubling’
Wright called his mother, Katie Wright, asking for the car’s insurance information shortly after he was pulled over, she told reporters Sunday. She said police had pulled him over for having an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror, which is illegal in Minnesota.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota said in a statement: “Initial details are troubling. Wright’s mother told several news outlets that she was on the phone with her son when he was pulled over for having a dangling air freshener on his car rearview mirror. She said they asked him to get out of the car, but wouldn’t say why. Then she heard scuffling and gunshots.
“The ACLU-MN has deep concerns that police here appear to have used dangling air fresheners as an excuse for making a pretextual stop, something police do all too often to target Black people,” the statement continued. “The warrant appears to be for a non-felony.”
Wright’s family has hired civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump, who is also representing Floyd’s family. Crump said in a statement Monday that the country must mourn the loss of Wright even as people still grapple with the death of Floyd less than a year ago.
“This level of lethal force was entirely preventable and inhumane,” Crump said. “What will it take for law enforcement to stop killing people of color? The growing number of Black men and women who have been killed or harmed by police is far too hefty a price for the equality we are seeking.”
Walz, the governor, said Wright’s death was yet another avoidable death of a Black man at the hands of a Minnesota police officer. He cited the fatal shootings of Philando Castile in 2016 and Jamar Clark in 2015.
A St. Anthony police officer was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter after Castile was gunned down in his car. Clark was fatally shot by a Minneapolis police officer, whose use of force was considered justified in the eyes of the law.
Mother of Daunte Wright recounts last phone call with son during fatal traffic stop
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Governor urges peaceful protest
Minnesotans are already on edge as the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin draws so much attention.
The National Guard was mobilized to control a rock-throwing crowd that gathered in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department by nightfall. Officers fired rubber bullets and tear gas.
Walz urged his fellow Minnesotans to protest peacefully or stay home Monday night.
“For those who choose to go out … and exploit these tragedies for destruction or personal gain, you can rest assured that the largest police presence in Minnesota history and coordination will be prepared,” he said. “You will be arrested. You will be charged, and there will be consequences for those actions.”
‘It doesn’t need to be this way’: Minnesota governor calls for police reform
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Sunday’s shooting played a role in Chauvin’s case Monday as his attorney asked the judge to sequester jurors, fearing they could be influenced by the killing of another Black man by police.
The request was denied.
MSNBC legal analyst Paul Butler said Chauvin’s defense never had any real hope of having jurors sent to hotel rooms for the trial’s duration — it instead made the application as a possible post-conviction insurance policy.
Asking for “the jury be sequestered is really a way that the defense … can preserve this issue on appeal,” Butler said.
Games canceled
The Minnesota Twins, Timberwolves and Wild all postponed their baseball, basketball and hockey games, respectively, in light the unrest and the curfew.
The Twins said in a statement that “out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Brooklyn Center,” it was “in the best interests of our fans, staff, players and community not to play today’s game” against the Boston Red Sox.
The Timberwolves said that after they consulted with league, “local and state officials, we believe postponing tonight’s game versus the Brooklyn Nets is the best decision.”
And the Wild said it was in “best interest of our fans, employees, players and community” to postpone the team’s game against the St. Louis Blues.