Minnesota police release bodycam video in fatal Daunte Wright shooting
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota police released bodycam video of the deadly Daunte Wright shooting Monday.
A police chief in Brooklyn Center outside of Minneapolis released the body camera footage Monday showing the officer-involving shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, categorizing the event as an "accidental discharge."
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said he believed the so far unidentified officer intended to reach for a Taser but mistakenly grabbed her service weapon and deployed a single bullet.
Both the chief and Mayor Mike Elliott declined to release the officer's name at this time but said the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension should be releasing information about all involved parties soon.
At least 500 Minnesota National Guard personnel are activated across the Twin Cities Monday in support of Operation Safety Net during the trial for former Minneapolis office Derek Chauvin – a number that’s expected to increase amid unrest since Wright's death.
The Minneapolis area erupted in looting and riots late Sunday after a female officer fatally shot Wright during a traffic stop just 10 miles from where Chauvin had Floyd pinned to the pavement last May.
National Guard officials said they expect more than 1,000 guards-members deployed across the state by the end of Monday. There have already been reports of clashes between protesters and police on Monday night.
Mayors from St. Paul and Minneapolis declared states of emergency and 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. CT curfews in their respective cities. Gov. Tim Walz has also announced a curfew for the same time parameters throughout Hennepin, Ramsey and Anoka counties.
Speaking to reporters Monday afternoon, Walz was emphatic not only about the need for change but in his warning that violent or destructive protesters would be held accountable.
"For those who choose to go out and ... to exploit these tragedies for destruction or personal gain, you can rest assured that the largest police presence in Minnesota history and coordination will be prepared," Walz said. "You will be arrested. You will be charged. And there will be consequence for those actions. It’s not debatable, you’re not making the case. You’re hurting the case. You’re undermining the grief, and you hear it from families time and time again. Don't you dare step into our space where we're trying to enact change through our system."
FAST FACTS
- Operation Safety Net was already expected to enter Phase 3 ahead of closing statements and jury deliberation in the Chauvin trial.
- That plan was expedicted by the civil unrest following Daunte Wright's fatal shooting by police.
In a statement released Sunday, Brooklyn Center Police said that officers had stopped an individual shortly before 2 p.m. After determining the driver had an outstanding warrant, police tried to arrest him. But the driver reentered the vehicle and drove away, police said.
An officer fired at the vehicle, striking the driver. Police said the vehicle traveled several blocks before crashing into another vehicle. A female passenger sustained nonlife-threatening injuries.
Gannon also detailed how officers outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department headquarters were pelted with frozen soda cans and cement blocks. One Hennepin County sheriff's deputy was struck in the head and went to the hospital. The chief said he made the call to cut lights in the building to prevent officers confronted by demonstrators from being backlit and becoming targets.
Tensions are already high in the region as the trial for Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer charged in Floyd’s death, continues into its third week. Judge Peter Cahill on Monday denied the defense's motion to sequester the jury amid the civil unrest across Hennepin County following Wright's death because it's a separate case. He said the jury in Chauvin's trial won't be sequestered until at least next week when closing statements are expected.
Brooklyn Center Community Schools were closed for in-person instruction and shifted to virtual learning Monday, as Superintendent Carly Baker recognized "our community experienced trauma and we need the time and space to process."
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