BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — Police clashed with protesters for a second night in the Minneapolis suburb where an officer who authorities say apparently intended to fire a Taser, not a handgun, fatally shot a Black man during a traffic stop.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon described Sunday’s shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright as “an accidental discharge.” The shooting sparked protests and unrest in an area already on edge because of the trial of the first of four police officers charged in George Floyd’s death.
Hundreds of protesters faced off against police in Brooklyn Center after nightfall Monday, and hours after a dusk-to-dawn curfew was announced by the governor. When the protesters wouldn’t disperse, police began firing gas canisters and flash-bang grenades, sending clouds wafting over the crowd and chasing some protesters away. A long line of police in riot gear, rhythmically pushing their clubs in front of them, began slowly forcing back the remaining crowds.
Outside the police center in Brooklyn Center, Minn., police use crowd control to help disperse #BLM rioters violating the emergency curfew. pic.twitter.com/5XXkLhTBwN
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 13, 2021
#BLM rioters looted and destroyed a Dollar Tree store in Brooklyn Center, Minn. pic.twitter.com/fju8eeGtTf
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 13, 2021
BLM looters break inside & steal from an O’Reilly’s auto store overnight in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Auto stores were infamously looted & burnt to the ground last year in Minneapolis. #DaunteWright pic.twitter.com/nEHyR1Ck0x
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
A Sally Beauty Supply store was smashed into and looted during the #BLM unrest & violence overnight in Brooklyn Center, Minn. #DuanteWright pic.twitter.com/2u9vyd2B9F
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
A liquor store in Brooklyn Center, Minn. was destroyed by BLM looters overnight. #Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/fc1xwLT4LU
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
“Move back!” the police chanted. “Hands up! Don’t shoot!” the crowd chanted back.
By late Monday, only a few dozen protesters remained. There were 40 people arrested Monday night at the Brooklyn Center protest, Minnesota State Patrol Col. Matt Langer said at a news conference early Tuesday. In Minneapolis, 13 arrests were made, including for burglaries and curfew violations, police said.
Law enforcement agencies had stepped up their presence across the Minneapolis area after Sunday night violence. The number of Minnesota National Guard troops was expected to more than double to over 1,000 by Monday night.
Authorities earlier Monday released body camera footage that showed the officer shouting at Wright as police tried to arrest him.
“I’ll Tase you! I’ll Tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser!” she can be heard saying. She draws her weapon after the man breaks free from police outside his car and gets back behind the wheel.
After firing a single shot from her handgun, the car speeds away and the officer is heard saying, “Holy (expletive)! I shot him.”
Related Story: Who is Kimberly Potter, the cop involved in the Daunte Wright deadly shooting?
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott called the shooting “deeply tragic” and said the officer should be fired.
“We’re going to do everything we can to ensure that justice is done and our communities are made whole,” he said.
Elliott later announced that the city council had voted to give his office “command authority” over the police department.
This “will streamline things and establish a chain of command and leadership,” he wrote on Twitter. He also said the city manager had been fired, and that the deputy city manager would take over his duties.
Related Story: Brooklyn Center city manager fired after call for due process for police officer
The reason behind the firing was not immediately clear, but the city manager controls the police department, according to the city’s charter. Now-former City Manager Curt Boganey, speaking earlier to reporters, declined to say whether he believed the officer should be fired and that she would get “due process” after the shooting.
Brooklyn Center is a modest suburb just north of Minneapolis that has seen its demographics shift dramatically in recent years. In 2000, more than 70% of the city was white. Today, a majority of residents are Black, Asian or Latino.
Elliott, the city’s first Black mayor, immigrated from Liberia as a child. On Monday night, he was joined by Keith Ellison, the state’s first Black attorney general, in addressing a group of protesters not far from the police department — telling the demonstrators to use their voices but remain safe.
“We are going to get to the bottom of this, we are going to make sure that there’s justice, that there’s officers held accountable,” Elliott can be heard telling protesters on video posted by a reporter for Minneapolis television station KARE.
Ellison reminded the crowd he currently is leading the prosecution of the the first officer charged in Floyd’s death, and promised Wright’s death will not be “swept under the rug.”
The body camera footage showed three officers around a stopped car, which authorities said was pulled over because it had expired registration tags. When another officer attempts to handcuff Wright, a second officer tells him he’s being arrested on a warrant. That’s when the struggle begins, followed by the shooting. Then the car travels several blocks before striking another vehicle.
Gannon said he believed the officer had intended to use her Taser, but instead fired one bullet at Wright. From “what I viewed and the officer’s reaction in distress immediately after that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright.”
Wright died of a gunshot wound to the chest, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office said in a statement.
The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the shooting, identified the officer as Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran who has been placed on administrative leave.
Gannon would not say whether she would be fired.
“I think we can watch the video and ascertain whether she will be returning,” the chief said.
Court records show Wright was being sought after failing to appear in court on charges that he fled from officers and possessed a gun without a permit during an encounter with Minneapolis police in June.
Wright’s mother, Katie Wright, said her son called her as he was getting pulled over.
During the call, she said she heard scuffling and then someone saying “Daunte, don’t run” before the call ended. When she called back, her son’s girlfriend answered and said he had been shot.
His brother, Dallas Bryant, told about a hundred people gathered for a candlelight vigil Monday evening that Wright sounded scared during the phone call, and questioned how the officer could mistake a gun for a Taser.
“You know the difference between plastic and metal. We all know it,” he said.
Demonstrators began to gather shortly after the shooting, with some jumping atop police cars. Wright’s death prompted protests in other U.S. cities, including in Portland, Oregon, where police said a demonstration turned into a riot Monday night, with some in the crowd throwing rocks and other projectiles at officers.
The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer charged in Floyd’s death, continued Monday. Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck. Prosecutors say Floyd was pinned for 9 minutes, 29 seconds. The judge in that case refused Monday to sequester the jury after a defense attorney argued that the panel could be influenced by the prospect of what might happen as a result of their verdict.
GOPUSA Editor’s Note: Please keep in mind that this is a mainstream media story. The source of the story is in the dateline. We publish it for the purpose of informing our readers and providing an opportunity to discuss it. What is GOPUSA? Read our About Us page to find out.
Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, Tim Sullivan in Minneapolis, Aaron Morrison in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Jonathan Lemire in Washington contributed to this report.
Mohamed Ibrahim is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Minnesota never had any of these problems when populated mostly by Scandanavian Americans. The violence and crime problems does not lie in the the police, but in the lower levels of humanity that replaced the law abiding founders of that state. SO what does Joe do the minute he becomes President? Just bring in more people from cultures trained to thrive and survive by breaking the law, not obeying it, the first act upon entering is to break our immigration laws. America needs to return to it search for excellence instead of settling for stumbling in the dark of mediocrity and lowest common denominator.
We’ve already confirmed that peace does not work. These vermin want a war, by God give them a war. Take all the guardsmen in Washington away from DC, They aren’t keeping anyone that has a brain safe, Send them to Minnesota with orders to terminate with extreme prejudice anyone caught in the act of terrorism. When the BLM and ANTIFA bodies start filling the streets, most of them will find someplace else to make people miserable. Even an idiot knows if streets start filling up with bodies. Smart people won’t go out after dark. Give them a curfew, if it’s not obeyed start dropping tear gas from helicopters, if that doesn’t work start shooting. Even those that wish to die will not go out after dark if they know the consequences.
It’s really very simple, do what the police say and nobody gets hurt. One very simple question? How many couch potatoes have been killed? The democrats want a war, why would they be nudging the terrorist groups to cause more and more trouble?
Maybe the Vikings football team should change their name to the Towel Heads.
It certainly makes you wonder, WHY WE never see this sort of thing go on in REPUBLICAN HELD cities/states..
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another completely avoidable situation – just do what the police tell you and live
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don’t do what the police tell you, attempt to flee, and get shot by some idiot affirmative action hire that can’t tell the difference between a Glock and a taser
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Put yourself in the position of that officer trying to subdue some knucklehead perp that’s fighting tooth and nail to not be cuffed. Mistakes are made in all walks of life. We can all be armchair analysts on every thing, saying what we would have done or what should have happened. In the heat of the moment the officer mistakenly fired her service weapon. See, I’m being an analyst! None of which would have happened if there had been cooperation, but to many, there is a belief a person who’s been lawless, doesn’t have to obey law enforcement officers.
As someone trained to ‘grab your gun with your strong hand in the military, i can attest to, in the heat of the moment, when struggling with someone, you at times, forget which hand is which..
Rioting & Looting has become the favorite pastime of the Negro race.
Reasons are not important, any excuse will do, to riot and rob. To get new TV, new sneakers, new anything.
Negroes do it because they can, with no accountability, no prosecution.
If the White establishment tries to hold them accountable for their own actions, the Negroes whine discrimination and racism.
And of course the liberal Democrat politicians who have been conning them to vote Democrat, will drop any and all charges against Negroes.
I.A.W. U.S. Census & FBI (Table 43a) Black males make up about 6% of the U.S. population but every year commit 53% of all the murders and 55% of all robberies in the U.S… Every year in the U.S. there are ~5,000 African-Americans men, women and children killed and 96% of them were killed by fellow African-Americans.
How many bodies do they have to step over to get to the one that they think is important only because a White police officer was involved?
The Truth is racist
Another reason to RIOT , not legitimate protesting. Stealing, breaking windows, burning businesses, destroying police and innocent people’s cars is a good way to show what you are really like. Thugs!! Stealing tv ‘s, liquor, electronics,
etc is a great solution to a cause. Lock them up and throw away the key to set an example to prevent this barbarism.
There was a New Mexico trooper assasinated the other day. Where do meet to begin looting? I can use a new TV set
IT certainly seems like blacks just have no comprehension of how to be “CIVILIZED”. Take a look at damn near every nation in Africa over the past 100+ years.
You are so right, blacks riot and loot because that’s what they do. Any excuse will do, just so they can upgrade their electronics and clothing, especially get the latest tennis shoes. Sadly the left wind democrats let them get away with it because they don’t want to get harsh and lose the black vote. All this appeasement is doing nothing but leading this country towards that second civil/race war that has been talked about and prepared for for the last few years. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.
AND as long as we keep SEEING WEAK *** so-called leaders, KEEP NOT Prosecuting these criminals, THEY WILL KEEP pushing and pushing till eventually SOMETHING SNAPS.
Have you noticed the white faces mixed in the rioters in the news videos? In one of the videos I saw there happened to be some signs indicating big apartment complexes. Public housing? I think so. Anyway, there are white faces mixed into the ‘protests’ and rioting.
Antifa is almost all white and most of them are not a product of public housing. They are mostly the kids of rich liberals, rioting, destroying, being arrested over and over and released over and over. A lot of them still live in mama’s basement and their activities and legal bills are financed by rich parents. How disgusting is that?
Last summer when the BLM marches and riots were going on they came here for awhile. The leaders were black but the marchers were predominantly white. The big thing they had in common was age. Many in the younger generations of all skin colors believe BLM and are more than willing to take up their cause.
America is in a very bad way and I don’t see a lot of hope for the younger people but many of them voted for Biden and they are happy with what’s going on, at least for now.
instead of arresting them and taking them to jail, put them in well ventilated shipping containers.
Loaded on barges, towed 250 miles out and dump the containers over the side.
The venting should ensure a quick sink.
No records or lists.
Sooner or later the left will notice a shortage in their ranks.
You really think that’s going to happen, geezer?
In Oregon and Washington Antifa rioters are not kept in jail overnight. There is no bail, they are simply released to rejoin the riot in progress.
OR how’s about start SHOOTING THE RIOTERS, not with pepper balls, but HOT LEAD…
bubble bust.
They do it because they HAVE BEEN TRAINED SINCE BIRTH THEY ARE VICTIMS
get rid of the ‘EJUKAYSHUN SYSDUMB’ and RE-INSTATE THE DRAFT!
The left got rid of the Draft when they noticed that Vietnam Vets coming home WITH AN EDUCATION, JOB SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WITH NON-RACIST PEOPLE of all races
They came back to the ghettos they were raised in, gathered their families and MOVED THEM OUT of the CAUSTIC ENVIRONMENT!
Entirely too many were exercising their NEWLY DISCOVERED FREEDOM!
But yet the 13% want accountability from the police. Maybe we need to defund welfare.
I’ve long felt we need to ELIMINATE All govt entitlement programs. WELFARE especially!
“Police clashed with protesters for a second night…”These people are not protesters. They are thieves, thugs, looters, rioters, and people looking to cause mayhem for their own benefit. They care not about the man that was killed. He is only the latest excuse for their crimes. What they are doing is a crime and until the “authorities” deal with it as such, it will continue.
Fly a few A-10’s over head and let loose with their chin guns! SEE how swiftly the riots end!
“Police clashed with protesters”??????? Yep, people that steal, people that rob / loot stores, people that burn down / destroy property, people that assault police officers and innocent citizens are protesters!!!!! No they are rioters, politically correct Fake News Media!!!! How is that for a dose of reality?????
Didn’t you get the memo.. WHEN LEFTISTS (mean blacks) riot, its ONLY EVER a peaceful protest. BUT WHEN White conservatives protest, its an insurrection!
So sayeth the almighty twitter/farcebook/google/LSM.
It appears that communist BLM leader, Patrisse Cullors, gives her thugs looting rights. Meanwhile, she sits back laughing while the thugs loot and destroy. She’s comfortable in her $1.5 million mansion in Topanga Canyon, California. Keep pushing your thugs, Patrisse. Maybe they’ll bring you loot from Dollar Tree to stock your mansion.
Topanga Canyon is only ONE of her 4 $MILLION PLUS homes.
Why can’t the blacks realize if you don’t follow police orders, you could be shot? I get pulled over, I do what they say and live to see another day!
they are TRAINED FROM BIRTH to KNOW they are VICTIMS!
Because too many are TAUGHT from youth, to HATE COPS… Both at home AND In school/via the media.
I dunno if they’re that smart.
IF you listen to the leftists, no they are NOT that smart.. Afterall, they are supposedly, too dumb to use the internet, too dumb to get an ID, to dumb to do most ANYTHING ELSE anyone else of any other race does..
What we know:
A Black person committed a criminal act;
There was a Warrant for his ARREST AND DETAINMENT;
He was stopped and an arrest was attempted.
He became violent and assaulted the police
He tried to escape.
Had he NOT COMMITTED the original crime, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!
So, let’s look to history for a solution:
COMMIT CRIMINAL ACTS – BAD STUFF HAPPENS
Obey the Laws and RESPECT the RIGHTS of Others – NOTHING BAD happens.
seems like a simple solution.
STOP TRAINING MINORITIES TO BELIEVE THEY ARE VICTIMS!
the governor of minnesotastan is a true poster boy for white guilt and a sorry *** excuse for a leader.
TILL THE voters there wake the hell up, and RECALL HIS SORRY BUTT, nothing will change IMO.
Thought the Gov said curfew would be enforced & that rioting & looting absolutely would not be tolerated so why is it being tolerated?
If any of the rioting thugs are arrested guess Kamala, bail bondsman czar for the BLM terror org, will be out stumping for Hollywood & Corp robber barons to pay their bail – assuming Soros hasn’t already bought & paid for corrupt DA’s to refuse to prosecute them.
Seems like cops will be blamed & citizens / businesses will be terrorized & eventually have to pony up millions $ to black criminals families even if a bolt of lightning strikes a black criminal dead while resisting arrest, ala the Godfather.
Time for an opinion based on reality that will be automatically be defined as “chauvinism” by the left. It was noted by many of my peers in my 20 plus years of military service, that once physically small , weaker females were allowed into more traditional police/military roles, these “equally qualified” applicants would be more likely to use lethal force. I can imagine what the outcome would have been had this “officerette” had to contain a 6’3″ male suspect under the influence of drugs and with a criminal history as one of her “brothers in arms” is finding out in a courtroom miles down the road.
Because the cops are being told by the state AG, DA and such, NOT TO enforce the law…
SO TO ME< if laws are not going to be enforced, there is NO NEED TO MAKE New laws.
IF there's no need to make new laws, THEN THERE IS NO NEED FOR lawmakers.. WHICH MEANS THERE is no need for POLITICIANS!
DEFUND THE GOVERNMINT!!!
DEFUND the dems and the rinos!
A criminal gets pulled over, he realizes that they are going to take him in, he runs, he gets shot (by mistake) and the result is his death. While the officers mistake is regrettable the whole situation would not have happened if the criminal hadn’t done the behavior that got a warrant out for his arrest, if he’d had proper registration, and if he hadn’t tried to run.
The riots are ridiculous. White people are frequently killed by others and white people don’t go destroying their neighborhoods. What is the point in stealing from a Dollar Tree? Dear heaven, that is just violence and destruction for no reason. Now the people who are in the neighborhood won’t have access to inexpensive necessities. Big help, not.
AND what’s the bet this forces MORE BUSINESSES TO move out of Minneapolis, and turn it into another detroit.
The governments and citizens of Brooklyn Ctr and MN are welcome to **** in their own sandboxes until the place is unlivable, and everyone with the least means and initiative has moved away–but not a penny from productive, law-abiding taxpayers to prop up what they themselves aren’t willing to take care of!
and everyone with the least means and initiative has moved away
Problem is, as we’ve see FAR too many times (CA residents moving to texas, colorado etc), when they do leave, they DO NOT LEAVE THEIR insane liberal ideology behind…
Another brother got shot by fascist cops? GREAT! Free swag! Let’s go lootin’!
Blacks demand special rights – that their criminals encounter NO RISK when they resist arrest. And that they be protected as “protestors” while breaking the law themselves rioting, destroying public and private property and stealing merchandise. They commit HALF the serious crimes in the USA but demand respect instead of feeling shame. White Dems keep inciting and protecting them though they themselves won’t escape the hate-whitey-and-cops mentality they encourage. The bloodiest Bolsheviks eventually were eaten by their own revolution. No one is safe when lower IQ people are taught grievance.
Exactly. THIS IS NOT about racial equality. ITS About blacks being allowed to be SAVAGE animals, with no repercussions.
What does the looting of private businesses have to do with the accidental shooting of a person by a sworn officer? Sounds like a bad excuse to victimize innocent people and a good reason to change the business location.
NOTHING what so ever.. ITS just an excuse to act like thugs and criminals.
There is one common link between all of the police-involved shootings, and that is every single time the person is resisting arrest. That is because the media has made it so police are bad, criminals are good and you should respect any officer.
Solution: This may seem hard but, if someone is using force to resist arrest, the officer should be allowed to shoot on-site with complete authority.
Watch how quickly this type of shooting will stop.
AND when state AG’s and city DA’s REFUSE to prosecute repeat offenders, put THEM in jail!