Killing of Black Minnesota Father Underscores Urgent Need for Police Accountability

Authorities must safeguard lives as protestors react

Contacts

Keith Rushing, Earthjustice, (757) 897-2147 

Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen released the following statement today in response to the killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Minnesota:

“As the nation grapples with the trial over the brutal killing of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black father was shot and killed by police yesterday just miles away from the trial in Minneapolis.

“While the facts surrounding this horrible tragedy are not in, media reports that Daunte Wright might have been stopped because an air freshener was hanging from his rearview mirror; that such an inconsequential detail could have led to his death is incomprehensible.

“Last night’s killing compounds the pain that the nation, particularly Black people, are feeling about systemic racism, anti-blackness, and the failure to hold police accountable for unwarranted harassment and killings of Black people.

“This comes on top of a viral video that shows a Black and Latinx Army lieutenant in uniform being stopped, verbally threatened, and pepper sprayed by police officers in Virginia, despite committing no crime.

“The ongoing loss of Black life and dehumanization underscore the need for leaders at all levels of society to move urgently to reform policing throughout our nation so law enforcement officers are held accountable for abuses of power, racism, and brutality.

“The National Guard has been deployed in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, because of unrest following last night’s killing of Daunte Wright. We urge authorities and law enforcement to safeguard the lives and wellbeing of protesters who are rightfully demanding justice.”

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