14 Apr 40 People Arrested in Minnesota Unrest- Daunte Wright Shooting
After a 20 year old black man was shot and died after a police officer mistook her gun for a taser, chaos broke out in Minnesota. Reportedly, more than 40 protestors were arrested in the north of Minneapolis on the second night of unrest.
Protestors defied night curfew, took over to the streets and threw objects at the police while the police responded with flash grenades and tear gas.
This incident is being considered as high profile, especially because of the ongoing Derek Chauvin Trial just a few blocks away. Derek Chauvin, an ex-police officer, is being charged with the first and second-degree murder of a black man- George Floyd.
Although Chauvin’s defense team asked for the jury member to be sequestered, the judge denied the request.
According to the reports, the officer who shit Wright is Kim Porter, who has worked with the department for about 26 years. The victim was pulled over for a traffic violation; however, he tried to get back into his car after a struggle and was shot by Porter. After realizing that she used a gun instead of a taser, she said, “Holy shit, I just shot him”.
In an attempt to respond to the violent protests, a curfew was imposed from 19:00 in all four counties. Minnesota State Patrol Colonel Matt Langer said that the officials tried to reach out to the organizers of the protest to end things peacefully but things escalated and efforts weren’t successful. Several looting incidents in the area were also reported.
US President Joe Biden stated that peaceful protests were understandable but looting is not at all justified.
In a tweet, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot expressed his regret and offered condolence to the victim’s family and also stated that he would ensure that justice is served to Daunte Wright.
SOURCE- BBC
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