Minnesota riots.
Minnesota authorities said at a news conference Tuesday morning, April 13, that rioters continued to clash with police after Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man, was shot and killed by police. On the second night of the clashes, Minnesota authorities arrested about 40 people in Brooklyn Center. The governor of Minnesota has ordered curfews in several cities.
On Monday, April 11, hundreds of people gathered outside the Brooklyn Center police station to demand “justice” for Wright, despite the curfew. The Hennepin County Coroner’s Office said in a statement that Wright died of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Police shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop in suburban Minneapolis on Sunday, April 10. Body camera footage showed three police officers gathered near a car that had been stopped for having an expired registration. Police attempted to arrest Wright, who was wanted on a warrant, leading to a struggle and the ensuing fatal shooting. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said the officer who shot and killed Wright had intended to use a Taser, not a handgun.
According to the Star Tribune, the officer who shot Wright was identified as Officer Kimberly A. Potter. She has had a career with the Brooklyn Center Police Department for more than 25 years. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Monday night that Potter was on standard administrative leave.
The crowd surrounding the Brooklyn Center Police Department chanted the name “Wright,” with some shouting obscenities at officers.
Authorities fired tear gas and flashbangs at the crowd after warning them of the curfew violation. Some rioters retaliated by throwing smoke bombs at law enforcement, while others fired fireworks at police lines, the report said. Police shouted “Back off!” And the crowd chanted, “Hands in the air! Don’t shoot!”
Authorities said the officers were “quite visibly” shelled. The crowd also threw objects such as trash and debris at the officers. Police said several officers were hit by debris during the riot and suffered minor injuries.
Minnesota State Patrol Colonel Matt Langer said law enforcement officials tried to talk to protest leaders about how to disperse the crowd peacefully, but “unfortunately, those efforts were not successful …… So …… (we) stood there to protect that building.”
About 40 people were arrested during the protest at the Brooklyn Center Police Department, Lange said. People were arrested for violations such as curfew violations and rioting, he added. Looters also broke into several businesses at a mall near the police station, including a dollar store (Dollar Tree store).
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz imposed a curfew Tuesday on counties including Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis and the state capital, St. Paul, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Amelia Huffman, deputy chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, said Minneapolis also made 13 arrests during the demonstrations, including four for burglary, two as suspects in shootings and six for curfew violations. And during the unrest, five businesses were burglarized in Minneapolis.
Vice President Kamala Harris commented on the shooting late Monday on Twitter, saying the Wright family needs “justice and healing” as the investigation proceeds.
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