Minnesota Police Officer Shoots an African American Man During a Traffic Stop

A Brookyln Center, Minnesota police officer shot and killed an African-American man after mistaking her gun for her taser.

On April 11 around 2 p.m. an unidentified police officer made a lethal mistake when she accidentally discharged her firearm during the arrest of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old African American man, according to Brookyln Center Police Department Chief Tim Gannon. 

The officers did have bodycams and dash cams that were activated during the shooting. Despite the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s investigation, Gannon did decide to release the body cam footage to the public in a press conference held April 12. 

“I felt the community needed to know what happened, they needed to see it and I needed to be transparent,” said Gannon. 

In the body cam footage, the involved officer is seen grabbing her firearm, but once she has hold of her firearm she begins yelling, ‘Taser, taser, taser!’, a training technique used by officers to make those around them aware of the use of a taser, according to Gannon. After shooting Wright, he drove away, and the officer can be heard saying she shot him.  

“[Wright’s girlfriend] put [the camera] on the driver’s side and my son was laying there lifeless,” said Katie Wright, Wright’s mother. 

The officers originally pulled Wright over for expired tabs, according to Gannon. Upon approaching Wright’s vehicle, officers also noticed that Wright had an air freshener hanging from his rearview window, which is illegal in the state of Minnesota. 

Once the officers identified the driver as Wright, they asked him to step out of the vehicle, because there was a warrant for his arrest. Officers attempted to handcuff Wright when he moved back towards the inside of his vehicle, according to the Brooklyn Center police statement. This was when the officer proceeded to shoot him instead of using the taser as intended, according to Gannon. 

“We cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people in our profession,” said Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott. 

Elliott later called for the officer’s resignation. Wright’s vehicle continued for several blocks, before crashing into another vehicle, according to the Brooklyn Center police statement. 

Wright and his girlfriend made several phone calls to his mother throughout the shooting, and at one point during a phone call one of the officers can be heard saying ‘Daunte don’t run’, according to Katie Wright.  

“Let me be clear, we will get to the bottom of this,” said Elliott. “We will do all that is within our power to make sure justice is done for Daunte Wright.” 

 The officer involved is now currently on administrative leave until a thorough investigation is conducted. The officer is entitled to due process, according to City Manager Kurt Boganey. 

Following the shooting, several demonstrations broke out. A curfew was put in place from April 11-April 12 at 6 a.m. Although there were peaceful protests and demonstrations held in honor of finding justice for Wright, there was also looting and rioting. 

“Again, peaceful protesting, expressing yourself, we fully support that,” said Gannon. “But the ravaging of our businesses, the looting of our stores, the destruction of our pharmacies, we cannot tolerate that.” 

After the night of April 11, only two arrests were made during the rioting and no mass arrests were made, according to Gannon. As for April 12, there is a curfew set in place, and the largest police presence in Minnesota history will be there making arrests to those who choose to exploit recent events for personal gain, according to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. 

“You will be arrested. You will be charged,” said Walz. 

The Minnesota state Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services has already acknowledged delays in the expired tabs process, and the police force was made aware of this statement, according to Gannon. Some Minnesotans with expired tabs were experiencing delays in receiving their new ones due to the pandemic. 

This could not have happened at a worse time, with all eyes already on Minnesota due to the Chauvin case, according to Elliott. 

Minnesotans will see an assortment of National Guard, state and local police departments working together in preparation for the trial and any further civil unrest that may stem from the Brookyln Center shooting, according to Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety John Harrington.  

Although the BCA hasn’t released the identity of the police officer yet, Gannon did comment on rumors about the involved officer now being deceased as false. Brookyln Center officers do receive year-round trainings, including the handling of a taser, according to Gannon. 

The BCA has not yet released more information on why Wright had a warrant for his arrest, however it was a gross misdemeanor warrant, according to Gannon. He also stated that after conducting a search of the car, no guns were found inside.