Minnesota's Department of Human Rights to Announce Investigation Findings on Racial Discrimination in Minneapolis Police

The state of Minnesota's investigation into racial discrimination in policing practices, sparked by the killing of George Floyd in 2020, is set to announce its findings. The investigation, led by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, has been reviewing data on traffic stops, searches, arrests, and uses of force, as well as examining policies and training. The findings could lead to a court-enforceable settlement requiring changes to the Minneapolis police department.

Key Takeaways:

• The investigation was launched barely a week after George Floyd's death on May 25, 2020, by then-Officer Derek Chauvin, who used his knee to pin Floyd to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes.
• The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has been reviewing a decade's worth of information, including data on traffic stops, searches, arrests, and uses of force, and examining policies and training.
• The department has come under pressure from multiple directions since Floyd's death, with some pushing to replace the department with a new public safety unit.
• Mayor Jacob Frey and Chief Medaria Arradondo made a range of changes in department policies and practices, but community anger at police flared anew in February when police officers serving a no-knock warrant shot and killed Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man.
• The city has since banned no-knock warrants except in extreme circumstances, such as a hostage situation.
• The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has the duty to enforce the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which makes it illegal for a police department to discriminate against someone because of their race.

Statistics:

• The investigation has been reviewing data on traffic stops, searches, arrests, and uses of force for a decade.
• Since Floyd's death, the city of Minneapolis has agreed to make immediate changes in policing practices, including banning chokeholds and requiring officers to intervene when they see another officer using inappropriate force.
• The U.S. Department of Justice is also investigating Minneapolis policing practices, though it is not thought to be close to a conclusion.
• In the federal trial related to George Floyd's death, three other officers (Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng) were convicted of violating Floyd's civil rights.

Sources:

• "AP's full coverage of the death of George Floyd" (https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd)
• Minnesota Department of Human Rights
• U.S. Department of Justice
• Minneapolis Police Department
• City of Minneapolis