Prolonged Minneapolis Police Discrimination Culminated in George Floyd’s Death, Asserts DOJ

Prolonged Minneapolis Police Discrimination Culminated in George Floyd’s Death, Asserts DOJ

In a stinging rebuke of Minneapolis law enforcement issued on Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice accused the local police force of systematic racial discrimination, frequently violating constitutional liberties, and consistently neglecting the safety of detainees, persisting for years prior to George Floyd’s tragic death.

The critique stemmed from a comprehensive two-year DOJ investigation that corroborated numerous public grievances regarding police behavior that surfaced post-Floyd’s demise in 2020. The probe discovered that Minneapolis officers had often employed excessive and even “unjustified deadly force,” and breached the rights of individuals expressing constitutionally protected free speech.

The DOJ concluded that the city and its law enforcement displayed discrimination against Black, Native American individuals and those suffering from “behavioral health disabilities.”

Despite acknowledging some Minneapolis Police Department officers for their professionalism and bravery, Attorney General Merrick Garland underscored that the observed systemic issues made George Floyd’s tragedy possible.

Garland observed that officers frequently ignored the safety of detainees, citing several instances where pleas for help by detainees claiming they couldn’t breathe were disregarded.

According to the report, the police routinely used dangerous methods and weaponry against individuals who at most had committed minor offenses, or even no offense at all. Officers often used force as a punitive measure against those who angered or criticized the police.

The police also displayed racial bias in their patrols, searches, handcuffing procedures, and use of force during stops, the report disclosed.

Following the investigation, the city and the police department agreed to a federal consent decree that mandates reforms under the supervision of an independent authority, approved by a federal judge. This strategy mirrors reform initiatives in other American cities including Seattle, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Ferguson, Missouri.

Police Chief Brian O’Hara pledged his department’s commitment to establishing a law enforcement agency deserving of every Minneapolis citizen, while Mayor Jacob Frey admitted the challenging path to change, saying it’s non-negotiable.

The DOJ’s unflinching report reflects Garland’s ambition to prioritize civil rights and nationwide policing. Parallel probes into police departments are currently active in Louisville, Phoenix, Memphis, and other cities.

The investigation into Minneapolis law enforcement was initiated in April 2021, just a day after Derek Chauvin, a white ex-officer, was found guilty of Floyd’s murder. Floyd, a Black man, had repeatedly gasped for air under Chauvin’s knee pressed onto his neck for over nine minutes.

The DOJ’s study of police practices dating back to 2016 found that officers sometimes discharged firearms without assessing immediate threats. From 2016 to 2022, police officers used neck restraints, like the one that resulted in Floyd’s death, nearly 200 times, including in 44 instances that didn’t necessitate an arrest.

The DOJ’s report also unveiled glaring racial disparities in traffic stops, with Black drivers 6.5 times more likely, and Native American drivers 7.9 times more likely, to be pulled over compared to white drivers.

Despite the ban on “no-knock” warrants and neck restraints post-Floyd’s death, the city continued to dispatch officers to 911 calls related to behavioral health, often with disastrous results, the report revealed.

These findings, grounded in document reviews, body camera footage, city and police data, and interactions with officers, residents, and others, paved the way for 28 “remedial” measures proposed by the DOJ to reform policing in preparation for the consent decree.

The mayor expressed the city’s preference for a single monitor to supervise both the federal plan and state agreement to avoid conflicting compliance evaluations.

Like Minneapolis, numerous police departments in other cities are governed by consent decrees, demanding agencies to achieve specific objectives before the lifting of federal oversight, a process that usually spans several years and costs millions of dollars.

George Floyd, 46, had been arrested for allegedly using counterfeit money to buy cigarettes. A confrontation with police led to his tragic demise. The officer responsible, Chauvin, was handed a 22.5-year sentence for murder, and an additional 21-year sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights, which he’s serving in Tucson, Arizona.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Minneapolis Police Discrimination

More about Minneapolis Police Discrimination

• Justice Department’s report on Minneapolis Police Department
• Details on George Floyd’s case
• More on Derek Chauvin’s sentencing
• Information on federal consent decrees