Tensions have been running high in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, after police shot a young black man during a traffic stop. The incident sparked protests that have descended into violence.
Several hundred people holding Black Lives Matter signs flocked to the Brooklyn Center Police Department, protesting the death of Daunte Wright, 20, who was shot by police during what appeared to be a routine traffic stop on Sunday afternoon.
According to the police, the officers who stopped Wright’s car “determined that the driver of the vehicle had an outstanding [arrest] warrant,” and sought to take him into custody. It’s unclear what transpired next, with police saying that Wright “re-entered the vehicle,” which prompted one of the officers to open fire. Wright then drove “several blocks before striking another vehicle,” and was pronounced dead at the scene, while a woman in the passenger seat of Wright’s vehicle was injured in the crash and was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has launched an investigation into the incident, with police saying the officers involved in the shooting are believed to have worn body cameras, and that their dash cam was also working.
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott addressed those in the community “filled with grief” in a statement published at 2:00 a.m. stating that he would continue to support “peaceful gatherings,” but also called for “transparency and accountability.” As the situation deteriorated, Mayor Elliott imposed a city-wide curfew, saying, “We want to make sure everyone is safe. Please be safe and please go home.” Metro Transit, the main public transportation operator in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area, announced Sunday that it was shutting down public transit in Brooklyn Center at the request of law enforcement. Brooklyn Center Community Schools announced that schools will be closed Monday due to the civil unrest, but classes will be held virtually.
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) posted on social media Sunday night that he’s monitoring the situation in Brooklyn Center and is praying for Wright’s family after another Black man’s life was “taken by law enforcement.”
Speaking at a press conference, Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington detailed how the unrest unfolded. He said the demonstrators gathered shortly after the shooting and crash, with some jumping on police cars and smashing them while officers stood nearby, and confronting officers. The Star Tribune‘s Liz Sawyer shared several videos of clashes between the police and protesters. In a post of one video, she tweeted “‘Are we at war?!’ A protester yells as flash bang grenades explode around us. ‘Feels like we at war.'” Marchers descended upon the Brooklyn Center Police Department building where rocks and other objects were thrown at officers, Commissioner Harrington said. The front door of the Brooklyn Park Police Department, which is located next to Brooklyn Center, was struck by gunfire.
As the confrontation escalated, the police used tear gas, flash bangs, and rubber bullets to restore order. The demonstrators had largely dispersed by 1:15 a.m. Monday.
Many took advantage of the violent commotion and went on a free-of-charge shopping spree. The videos of lootings have flooded social media. Walmart, Nike, GameStop, Family Dollar, Foot Locker, and AT&T were cleaned out; a liquor store lay in ruins; Sally Beauty Supply was ravaged; while a gas station convenience store, O’Reilly Auto Parts, and many other unfortunate businesses were looted, vandalized and destroyed. Looters targeted as many as 20 stores in the Shingle Creek Crossing shopping mall two miles away from the epicenter of confrontation. The (formerly?) upscale Uptown district in Minneapolis, on West Lake Street, also was reportedly hit with looting.
To tame the unrest, the National Guard was activated. It has already been deployed in nearby Minneapolis for the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of murdering George Floyd last May. “At this time, we have essentially a full activation,” Harrington said. “You will see a robust assortment of National Guard, state and local police departments working together over the next two or three days as we once again prepare for the trial and also are prepared for any other and any further civil unrest that may come from the Brooklyn Center officer-involved shooting.”
It is also reported that the judge in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has denied the defense’s move Monday to immediately sequester the jury following unrest in a nearby city.
