Minneapolis police officer shoots dead a 40-year old black man in suburbs

BreaknLinks

Minneapolis
Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters after shooting of 20-year-old (Getty Images)

After a 20-year-old Black man was shot dead by police in a Minneapolis suburb, protesters took to the streets to demand justice, escalating tensions in a city already tense due to the trial of the officer charged with George Floyd's death.

Daunte Wright's mother told reporters that officers from the Brooklyn Center Police Department fired him during a traffic stop on Sunday afternoon.

When he was pulled over, his mother said the young man called her on her mobile phone and got out of his car, presumably after police objected to the air fresheners in his vehicle.

Katie Wright alerted local media that she overheard someone on the phone say, "Daunte, don't run."

When one officer shot at the young man, police said he got back into his vehicle. The 20-year-old was hit, and his car continued for several blocks before colliding with another vehicle.

Despite emergency responders' best efforts, the young man was pronounced dead at the scene.

One protester, who only wanted to be known by his first name, David, told The Independent, "They just don't care." “Police officers who behave in this manner should be fired.”

Another activist, a woman, said she was not surprised by what had happened, and that the Brooklyn Center police department had a worse reputation than the Minneapolis Police Department. The Brooklyn Center Police Department is once again in the spotlight this month, as one of its former officers, Derek Chavin, is on trial for the alleged murder of George Floyd last May.

Three other ex-officers are now expected to stand trial for the 46-year-murder. old's

“Police continue to murder black people all over the world,” the woman said.

In the wake of the shooting on Orchard Avenue in Brooklyn Center, just ten miles north of Minneapolis, told reporters she had been on the phone with her shortly after the attack.

According to a video clip posted by a journalist with the KARE 11 news network, Ms. Wright said, "I heard scuffling, and I heard the police officers say, 'Daunte, don't run,' and then the other officer said, 'Put the phone down,' and hung up."

“And a minute later, I called, and his girlfriend — that was the passenger — answered and said he'd been shot, and she placed it on the driver's side, and my son was lifeless.”

A counsel for the Floyd family reveals George Clooney weighed in on the Derek Chauvin case.

According to the Star Tribune, Ms. Wright's son told her that he had been pulled over because of air fresheners hanging from his mirror.

She said, "All he did was have air fresheners in the car and they ordered him to get out of the car."

“When he got out of the car, his girlfriend told him that they had fired him. He got back in his car, pulled away, crashed, and has been dead on the ground since 1:47 p.m... Nobody would say something to us. Nobody wants to speak to us. “Please raise my son off the ground,” I said.

Protesters protested in the streets outside the shooting site later. While some people allegedly jumped on police cars, prompting officers to shoot tear gas, the demonstration was almost entirely peaceful.

Around 10 p.m., hundreds of riot police officers set up a security fence outside the Brooklyn Center Police headquarters and fired multiple shots of tear gas or chemical irritant to disperse the demonstrators.

Officers stopped a person just before 2 p.m. on Sunday after discovering the driver had an outstanding warrant, according to a police statement released after the shooting. As officers attempted to apprehend the driver, he reentered the car and sped away, according to police.

According to the statement, “one officer fired their weapon, striking the driver.” “After that, the car traveled several blocks before colliding with another vehicle.”

The incident occurs when the city is still tense due to the third week of the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin. Second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter are all charges against Mr. Chauvin.

Three other officers accused of Mr. Floyd's death are scheduled to go on trial soon. The national guard has been mobilized, and most police stations in the city seem to have beefed up security ahead of the verdict.

According to reports, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was on the scene and was investigating the incident.

Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota said on Twitter that he was "closely monitoring the situation" and that he was "praying for Daunte Wright's family as our state mourns another Black man taken by law enforcement."

 

Publish : 2021-04-12 10:52:00

Give Your Comments