Brooklyn Center Police: At least your Mayor and City Council gets it.
Walz, Frey, Hutchinson: Figure it the fuck out. Enjoy your restraining order.

This is a taser:	This is a gun:

Any questions?

 

Tensions build between Gov. Tim Walz, progressives over Brooklyn Center response (4-16-2021) - "And Walz is facing a backlash for not roundly condemning tear gas and projectiles used in the first nights of protests in Brooklyn Center, prompting some DFL activists and officials to call for an end to using these tactics on crowds responding to police violence. 'That is trauma upon trauma upon trauma and abuse at the hands of those who are pretending to protect and serve,' civil rights lawyer and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong said outside the Brooklyn Center police headquarters at the center of protests this week. 'Governor Walz needs to step forward, he needs to push for accountability, he needs to call for an end to that type of abuse."

Brooklyn Center Leaders Asking Outside Law Enforcement to Scale Back Engagement with Protesters (4-16-2021) - "People who live in the area say many of their neighbors are staying in hotels or with relatives to avoid the noise as well as the tear gas that seeps into their homes. 'We can't just have our window open any more without thinking about if there's going to be some gas coming in,' said 16-year-old Xzavion Martin, adding that rubber bullets and other projectiles have landed on his apartment's second-story balcony. 'There's kids in this building that are really scared to come back.' The tactics have not sat well with Brooklyn Center city officials, who passed a resolution Monday banning the city's officers from using tear gas and other chemicals, chokeholds, and police lines to arrest demonstrators. Mayor Mike Elliott, who is Black, said at a news conference Wednesday that 'gassing is not a human way of policing' and he didn't agree with police using pepper spray, tear gas and paintballs against demonstrators. "

Police back off on 5th night of protests in Brooklyn Center (4-16-2021) - "Protesters by the hundreds have gathered outside the heavily secured Brooklyn Center Police Department each night since 20-year-old Daunte Wright, a Black man, was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop April 11. But in contrast to protests between Sunday and Wednesday, authorities used a less aggressive strategy on Thursday night, and the result was a far more more peaceful situation that saw no protesters being struck by rubber marking rounds, pepper spray, shock grenades or tear gas. Police did not discharge any weapons on the crowd, even after the city's 10 p.m. curfew passed. Instead, police were backed away from a newly reinforced fence and barricade surrounding the police department. They also never issued a dispersal order, never forming lines of riot gear-dressed officers to march through the streets with batons."

Despite curfew, fifth night of Brooklyn Center protest ends with no dispersal (4-16-2021) - "Contrasting with previous nights, law enforcement officers stayed well back from the fence. At least a dozen rifle-bearing National Guard members watched the protest from the station's roof, while others walked the ground inside the fences, well away from the fences pocked with air fresheners and umbrellas. The more subdued law enforcement response followed expressions of difference Wednesday and Thursday between Brooklyn Center leaders and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, which is leading the defense of the police building, over the use of tear gas and other aggressive crowd dispersal methods. The majority of Thursday's protesters were peaceful. Through the night, many of them hung vehicle air fresheners on the fence, a reference to Wright's mother's statement that her son had one dangling from his car's rearview mirror when he was stopped. The scents of new car, blackberry, cherry and green apple mingled with that of barbecued meat across the protest area."

Residents near Brooklyn Center Police Dept. caught in the crossfire of ongoing protests (4-15-2021) - "'It's like tear gas being shot over here,' said Tolliver. 'Rubber pellets being shot over here. We're right at ground zero. It's like being in a third world country where don't nobody care.' Jamaya Crayton captured cell phone video of the unrest. It's a snapshot of what she sees from her second story apartment every night. 'It's like a war going on in the middle of your front yard and there is nothing you can do,' said Crayton. The other day, she found a rubber bullet shell on her balcony. She says all the loud noises are particularly upsetting to her three-year-old daughter and two young nieces who have autism and don't understand what is happening. 'I'm tired,' said Crayton. 'I'm tired every day. I haven't gotten any sleep my kids are coughing. They are uncomfortable, scared and it's really pissing me off because there is nothing I can do.'"

Nightly Brooklyn Center protests met with curfews, tear gas, arrests (4-15-2021) - "Law enforcement have lined up in the parking lots and lawns of the apartments across the street, blocking residents from entering or leaving their homes. Tear gas and other chemical irritants set off by police have hung in the air around the residents' homes for several nights in a row. Law enforcement officers have shot tear gas canisters onto porches of the apartment buildings, where protesters and residents have scrambled to extinguish them. The protests die down during the day, but the area still bears the marks of the police retaliation. Apartment lawns are streaked with tire tracks, and the street is littered with police paint markers. At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, projectiles left over from the night before exploded three different times over the course of an hour. "

Overall, a better response to protests (4-15-2021) - "Violence also jeopardizes residents caught in the crossfire between protesters and law enforcement, particularly with the use of chemical agents such as tear gas - a tactic that Elliott has decried. To his credit, Elliott stood up for another First Amendment guarantee: a free press. Journalists have the right and responsibility to report on the protests. That right was jeopardized Tuesday by an irresponsible call for media members to disperse. And some have been injured this week, including two from the Star Tribune. State, county and local political leaders - as well as Minnesota National Guard leadership - need to unequivocally tell those responding to the protests that journalists, and more profoundly the First Amendment, needs to be protected. Amid the glare of the Chauvin trial, which is being covered by foreign and national correspondents, the international image of Minnesota is undergoing enduring damage. No Minnesotan should want their cities to be seen as armed encampments, with National Guard forces joining law enforcement in cordoning off buildings and pushing back and ultimately arresting protesters. Nor should they want to see a repeat of the chaos of last May, which left literal and figurative scars on Minneapolis and St. Paul. What the world will hopefully see going forward is an earnest attempt by authorities to allow for legitimate expression of First Amendment rights by peaceful protests and a free and unfettered press."

Is This a Community? (4-15-2021) - "In reality, Gannon's vision fails on its own terms because the police have deliberately telegraphed to Brooklyn Center residents that they don't consider themselves part of the same community. None of the officers live in the city, opting against the very geographic proximity on which the whole notion is predicated. 'As of this moment I don't believe even one of our [49] officers live in Brooklyn Center; that's something we are aware of,' said Brooklyn Center mayor Mike Elliott on Tuesday. 'I do feel very strongly that you need officers to be from the community.' And the day after Wright took his last breath, footage of the Brooklyn Center police station showed a pole flying the United States flag out front, as is customary, and a black flag with a blue line running through it directly below. (The blue-line flag was removed later that afternoon at the mayor's request.) Taken together, these facts reveal how much a part of the community of Brooklyn Center police actually feel themselves to be: They live in a different place and fly their own flag that doubles as an unambiguous demand for submission from everyone else."

'I'm scared because of that booming': A preschooler and her family watch protests, police in Brooklyn Center. (4-15-2021) - "Four-year-old Tenea Anderson loves that she gets to watch cartoons in the hotel room she has been staying in with her family over the last few days. But she keeps asking her mom, Tenean Manier, to turn the channel so she can watch the news. 'This little girl, with how much she loves cartoons, now she requests to watch CNN,' Manier said. 'Because she's like, 'I want to check on the house.'' Their apartment building is on Humboldt Avenue, right by the Brooklyn Center Police Department. Tenea said she's seen a lot of people on TV standing outside her balcony with umbrellas. She said the loud noises outside her apartment were scary. 'I'm scared because of that booming,' she said, '[I hid] under the bed.' After Daunte Wright was shot and killed by a Brooklyn Center police officer Sunday afternoon, Manier said Tenea didn't sleep most of the night. Nobody did. 'She got under the bed, she was crying, she didn't know what was going on,' Manier said. 'She was like, 'Mommy what is that? I'm scared.'' The area around the family's building quickly filled with protesters, then police officers and flash-bangs. Manier said it felt like their neighborhood had suddenly become a war zone. 'I said, 'We're OK. I'm here to protect you,'' Manier said. 'But I honestly didn't know or couldn't find the words to try to explain to my 4-year-old daughter what is going on in the world we live in today.'"

No tear gas used as police, protesters engage for a 4th night in Brooklyn Center (4-15-2021) - "There were also reports of residents from local apartment buildings being caught up in the police response, with at least one appearing to be detained by officers, while members of the media were also held at points and required to present ID to be photographers."

Fewer arrests, calmer scene on fourth night of Brooklyn Center protests (4-14-2021) - "VanPelt and others questioned the need for the heavy police presence. 'How are we the violent ones? They're the ones ready for war,' she said of the National Guard members and riot police behind fortified fences across the street. At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Elliott urged protesters to remain peaceful and abide by the curfew, but he also made it clear that he didn't agree with policing tactics against protesters and the members of the media, who were asked to leave Tuesday night. 'I did initially ask for mutual aid,' he said. 'The operation last night was under the auspices of the Sheriff's Office. And that's all I'll say about that.' Elliott was asked whether this was a 'democratic crisis' given that he doesn't agree with law enforcement's response of tear gas and pepper spray but only has control over his own officers. He said most of his officers were responding to 911 calls across the city. 'Our Police Department was not engaged in using any pepper spray or gas,' he said, adding that there needs to be a different approach to policing. 'Gassing is not a humane way of policing.'"

Daunte Wright Shooting: Demonstrators And Police Clash For 4th Night In Brooklyn Center (4-14-2021) - "Halfway through the protest, Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies arrived, agitating some protesters. A potential clash is why some nonprofits, like Trey Pollard's We Push for Peace, is back here again."

'It's absolutely terrorizing': Residents near Brooklyn Center unrest rattled by clashes, tear gas (4-14-2021) - "'It's absolutely terrorizing,' he said as he wiped away welling tears. 'I moved across from a police station because I thought it'd be safe.' Fiebelkorn lives in Sterling Square Apartments, which is a group of four buildings with about 50 apartments directly across from the Brooklyn Center Police Department. The block has been ground zero for mass demonstrations since Sunday, when 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed by Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter during a traffic stop. Potter, who has since resigned from the Police Department, was charged Wednesday with second-degree manslaughter. Law enforcement officers have clashed with the protesters, using tear gas, flash-bang grenades and projectiles to clear the crowds. For those living in the apartments nearby, that has meant finding bright green marking rounds and gas canisters landing on their balconies. It has meant sleepless nights of trying to watch through windows while fearing a projectile will fly through the glass. And even for those residents who did try going to bed, the coughing caused by the tear gas was often enough to keep them awake. 'My place smells like smoke and there are times when it's hard to breathe,' said Jamiya Crayton, 24. She's been stuffing wet towels around her windows, but it's not enough, she said."

Community activists, civil rights attorney say manslaughter charge for former Brooklyn Center officer 'not enough' (4-14-2021) - "'From my perspective, this shows a reckless disregard for Black life, it shows anti-blackness and white supremacy,' Levy-Armstrong said. 'Potter needs to be held accountable under the law, and I believe she should be charged with second or third-degree murder.' Union organizer and Minneapolis City Council candidate Robin Wonsley said the manslaughter charge did not fit the crime and needs to be upgraded to send a stronger message. 'Create higher charges and set a mandate that any peace officer that comes into our community will not execute us,' Wonsley said. 'You will not be the jury and you will not be the executioner over our lives.'"

Caught in the crosshairs: Residents who live near Brooklyn Center police station describe fear, chaos (4-14-2021) - "'People are bringing food and water, the community's coming together. It's really amazing to see. I love seeing it,' she said. The Brooklyn Center resident said protestors broke out into disorder because police first shot with rubber bullets and flash bangs. 'When they aim it just goes anywhere. It's like hitting the building, hitting peoples cars, hitting people,' Johnson explained."

Read the charging document against former Brooklyn Center officer Kimberly Potter (4-14-2021) - "The Washington County Attorney's Office on Wednesday charged former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter with second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, 20, during a traffic stop. Potter resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Tuesday."

Tear gas at bedtime: Brooklyn Center residents, including kids, suffer from aggressive police tactics to quell Daunte Wright protests (4-13-2021) - "Children suffering from tear gas exposure, even though they are at home and in bed. A man hit in the hand by what appeared to be a pellet from crowd-control munitions. A guest arrested while trying to park his car. The Sterling Square Apartments are a two-building complex that stands directly across the street from the Brooklyn Center Police Department. For the last several nights, the lawn in front of the buildings has become the center of protests over the killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Law enforcement has repeatedly deployed blunt crowd control tactics that disrupt the protests, but also sweep in people who live nearby. On Monday, the second night of protests, the aggressive crowd control tactics were deployed shortly after the city passed a resolution banning their use by the BCPD. Nuwoe Larblah, a Liberian immigrant, lives with his partner and two children, an 11-year-old daughter and 9-month-old son. On the first night, Sunday, Larblah said tear gas got into his apartment and irritated his children, even though his doors and windows were closed. His partner took the kids to stay with his mother the next night. 'The first night was really hectic,' he said, but the children are fine now. Larblah blames the police for the chaos, and is still shaken by the killing of Wright."

Daunte Wright Killing: Officer Kim Potter, Police Chief Resign; Potter May Soon Face Criminal Charges (4-13-2021) - "Washington County Attorney Pete Orput said Tuesday afternoon that his office plans to make a decision on whether or not to file criminal charges against Potter by Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike said he was 'appreciative' that Potter submitted her resignation but that he had not asked for it. Elliott said he was not sure if it was because she had heard that she would soon be fired. He said he hoped her resignation would 'bring some calm to the community,' but that he would keep working towards 'full accountability under the law.' 'That's what we're going to continue to work for,' Elliott said. 'We have to make sure that justice is served, justice is done. Daunte Wright deserves that, his family deserves that.'"

Brooklyn Center officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright resigns, as does police chief (4-13-2021) - "Brooklyn Center has 49 officers and Elliott said he doesn't believe any of them live in the suburb. 'We do feel very strongly that we need officers to be from the community,' he said. He also said there are very few officers of color in the department, specifically Black officers. 'We're hoping that we're turning over a new leaf now,' Elliott said. '... We're going to develop an approach that is community-based.'"

Thin Blue Line Flag Raised at Brooklyn Center Police Station Sparks Outrage (4-13-2021) - "A video showing a Thin Blue Line flag raised outside the Brooklyn Center police station in Minnesota, where a Black man died Sunday after he was shot by a Brooklyn Center police officer during a traffic stop, has sparked outrage on Twitter. Users condemned the flag's presence as 'inappropriate' and 'disgusting.' The controversial flag has come to represent police solidarity for some. But it has also been 'criticized as a symbol of white supremacy,' explains The Marshall Project, a non-profit organization reporting on criminal justice issues in the U.S. 'Those who fly the flag have said it stands for solidarity and professional pride within a dangerous, difficult profession and a solemn tribute to fallen police officers. But it has also been flown by white supremacists, appearing next to Confederate flags at the 2017 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville, Virginia,' according to The Marshall Project."

Brooklyn Center chief: Cop pulled gun not Taser, shot Daunte Wright in error (4-12-2021) - "Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel Jeff Storms will represent Wright's family. They're the same attorneys who represent the family of George Floyd; the Minneapolis City Council recently signed off on a $27 million settlement to Floyd's family. 'Daunte Wright is yet another young Black man killed at the hands of those who have sworn to protect and serve all of us - not just the whitest among us,' Crump said in a Monday statement. '... This level of lethal force was entirely preventable and inhumane. What will it take for law enforcement to stop killing people of color? ... We join Daunte's family in demanding justice for him, and holding those responsible for his death accountable.'"

'This is murder': Outrage builds over death of Daunte Wright in traffic stop; police chief says officer intended to use Taser (4-12-2021) - "'This is murder. This is white supremacy. Who's going to stand up for our ancestors who built this land but are still kept down?' said Jonathan Mason, a community activist. In a statement, NAACP National President Derrick Johnson said Wright 'should be alive today. Whether it be carelessness and negligence, or a blatant modern-day lynching, the result is the same. Another Black man has died at the hands of police,' Johnson said."

Hundreds gather outside Brooklyn Center Police Department following Daunte Wright shooting (4-12-2021) - "Hundreds of people have gathered outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department Monday evening, one day after Daunte Wright, a Black man, was shot and killed by a Brooklyn Center officer. Wright, 20, was killed Sunday afternoon after he was pulled over for having expired tabs on his license plate, according to Brooklyn Center police. During the traffic stop, officers discovered Wright had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. When police attempted to take him into custody, Wright re-entered the vehicle and an officer shot him."

Chief: Officer meant to use Taser, not firearm, on Daunte Wright (4-12-2021) - "The decision about whether to charge the officer, whose name has not been released, will rest with Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, whose office is taking over responsibility for the case. Orput said that prosecutors hope to do a 'thorough yet expedited' review of the case with the hope that the office can have a criminal complaint drafted Tuesday afternoon or early Wednesday at the latest. Speaking Monday late afternoon, Orput had not received the BCA's investigative report but said he had watched the body camera footage of the fatal encounter. 'I hope to have a complaint as soon as possible. I'm hoping Wednesday but I want to have the opportunity to give my condolences to his family and explain to them my decision.'"

Daunte Wright is sixth person killed by Brooklyn Center police since 2012 (4-12-2021) - "Wright is the latest victim of a fatal police shooting in the suburb located about 10 miles north of Minneapolis. In 2019, Brooklyn Center officers shot 21-year-old Kobe Dimock-Heisler six times after he lunged at police with a knife during a domestic disturbance call. Dimock-Heisler, who was on the Autism spectrum, wielded a hammer and knife while fighting with his grandparents that day, but was disarmed before police arrived. Officers insisted on entering the house anyway. His mother, Amity Dimock-Heisler, said police escalated the situation and 'ended up putting my son down like an animal.'"

Brooklyn Center police fatally shoot man, 20, inflaming tensions during the Derek Chauvin trial (4-12-2021) - "Wright's mother, Katie Wright, tearfully pleaded near the scene Sunday afternoon for more information and for her son's body to be moved from the street. She also urged the protesters to remain peaceful. 'All he did was have air fresheners in the car and they told him to get out of the car,' Wright said, explaining that her son called her when he was getting pulled over. During the call, she said she heard scuffling and then someone saying 'Daunte, don't run' before the phone call ended. When she called back, her son's girlfriend answered and said Daunte had been shot. 'He got out of the car, and his girlfriend said they shot him,' she said. 'He got back in the car, and he drove away and crashed and now he's dead on the ground since 1:47. ... Nobody will tell us anything. Nobody will talk to us. ... I said please take my son off the ground.'"

Brooklyn Center chief: Cop meant to use Taser on Wright; Walz orders wide curfew (4-12-2021) - "Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong called Wright's killing the latest incident of violence by police against Black people. 'We feel like we are in the midst of a war zone,' she said, 'simply for standing up for human rights and our ability to breathe and to be free and to drive when we want to drive and to walk down the street when we want to walk down the street, without being treated like criminals - and without having the use of deadly force being brought against us.'"

Medical examiner declares Daunte Wright death a homicide (4-12-2021) - "Monday evening, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office reported Wright died of a gunshot wound to the chest. The medical examiner's office declared the manner of death a homicide. Police say officers pulled Wright over for expired tabs but then found he had a warrant out for his arrest after running his name through their system. Court records reveal the warrant was issued on April 2 of this year. Wright was wanted for failure to appear in court on charges alleging that he waved a gun in public and then ran from police last summer. However, in Sunday's encounter, police say Wright did not have a gun and no gun was found in the car."

Brooklyn Center police kill unarmed Black man after traffic stop - police chief states shooting was 'accidental' (4-12-2021) - "Calm was restored after that as the crowd chanted his name and activists implored people to remain peaceful. Daunte's mother and father were able to address the crowd using a portable sound system someone had brought to the scene. They asked the crowd again to remain peaceful and work to get justice for Daunte. Around 9 pm, some in the crowd began to shift their protest to the Brooklyn Center police station. Over 500 gathered in front of the station. The crowd appeared to be peaceful, but after they gathered and were chanting for about two hours, Brooklyn Center police began firing tear gas into the crowd, a few were reported to be hit by tear gas canisters. Clouds of tear gas could be seen as police attempted to clear the area. Later in the night, around 11:30 pm, the crowds began to get in cars and leave after it was reported that police were attempting to block them all in. "

Man dies after being shot by police in Brooklyn Center; protesters gather near scene (4-11-2021) - "A man was killed in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on Sunday after police say an officer opened fire during a traffic stop. Police say the situation started just before 2 p.m. when officers tried to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation on the 6300 block of Orchard Avenue. During the stop, police say they learned the driver had an outstanding warrant and attempted to take him into custody but the man got back into the vehicle. As the man got back into the vehicle, police say an officer fired his gun, hitting the driver. It's unclear why the officer fired shots. Despite being hit, police say the man was able to drive several blocks away before hitting another vehicle. Police say they attempted to revive the driver who was shot but say he died at the scene. A passenger in the other vehicle was transported to the hospital for treatment but is expected to survive."

Brooklyn Center Officer-Involved Shooting: Victim's Family, Crowd Gather At Scene (4-11-2021) - "The victim's mother spoke to the crowd, saying her son was 20 year old, and she had given him a car two weeks ago. She said his girlfriend was also in the car at the time of the shooting. She said he called her to say, 'Mom, I'm getting pulled over,' and 'they're asking about insurance.' She said she then heard officers telling him to get out of the car. When he asked them why, officers told him that they would explain when he got out of the vehicle. She said officers then told him to put his phone down, and then heard someone say 'Dante, don't run.' She then claimed that an officer ended his call, and soon after his girlfriend called her to say he had been shot. His mother said she went to the scene, and saw him 'lifeless' by the car."

BCA investigating police shooting in Brooklyn Center (4-11-2021) - "Members of the community have started congregating near the site to protest, holding Black Lives Matter signs, playing music and chanting at police. A group of law enforcement officers in tactical gear were seen lining up across from protesters on the other side of the crime scene tape. KSTP reporter Ben Henry described rising tensions at the scene as the police in riot gear approached the crowd."

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