Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has declared a state of emergency and a curfew from 7 p.m. (00:00 GMT) on Monday until 6 a.m. after the fatal incident of Daunte Wright that led to violence the previous night.
“We must see peace tonight. And as of this afternoon, I have declared a state of emergency in the city of Minneapolis and we are following that up with a curfew that will begin at 7 p.m. tonight and will go until 6 a.m. tomorrow morning,” Frey said.
The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul have underscored in the briefing that the death of Daunte Wright is not an excuse for looting and vandalism, and it will not be tolerated as increasing numbers of police and national guard have started to arrive in the cities.
According to the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety John Harrington, at around 2 p.m. on Sunday, Brooklyn Center officers initiated a traffic stop of Daunte Wright’s car based on license plates violation.
The decision was made to take the driver into custody as he was suspected to have a warrant for a weapon violation
20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot after the police officer meant to use a Taser, but mistakenly drew her gun instead.
The officer was later named as Kim Potter who has worked for Brooklyn Center Police for 26 years.
Fatally wounded, Daunte Wright crashed a few streets away.
The Daunte Wright & George Floyd Connection
This fresh incident took place near Minneapolis nearly a year after George Floyd, 46, died after Police Officer Chauvin pressed his knee onto his neck.
George Floyd was a 46-year-old African American man. He died in Minneapolis on 25th May 2020 while he was being restrained by the police. Video footage of the incident was broadcast by the media and went viral on social media platforms. It showed an officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he gasped for breath. Derek Chauvin was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.
Massive Angry Protests After Floyd’s death
The killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police had sparked a furious response from all sections of American society. Former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened the use of force in dealing with protests. He had written on Twitter : ‘Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts’
The Black Lives Matter Connection
George Floyd’s death gave a fresh impetus to the black lives matter movement. The cry of “Black Lives Matter!” was created by three Black female organizers in 2013. It started after enraged over the acquittal of the man who had murdered the 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
(With ANI Inputs)