Dozens of protesters were arrested in Brooklyn Center as they demonstrated in the street in the aftermath of the death of Daunte Wright.
More than 60 people were arrested Tuesday night in connection to unrest, State Patrol Col. Matt Langer said. Authorities claimed that demonstrators threw bricks and cans at officers.
“The behaviors we continue to see are unacceptable, and we are not going to tolerate them,” Langer said. “We encourage you to be peaceful and come and exercise your First Amendment rights, it is not acceptable and will not be tolerated if you choose to come and do criminal activity and destroy property and throw objects and make it unsafe for people to come and exercise your First Amendment rights.”
The protest Tuesday began around 4:30 p.m. in front of the police station. Before marching around the city, activist and attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong told protesters she had recently spoken with Gov. Tim Walz about introducing legislation to reform policing, according to the Star Tribune.
Once the protest ended, between 800 and 1,000 of the protesters faced off with police in riot gear. Officers used flash-bang grenades, riot gas, and projectiles. This came after at least 40 demonstrators were arrested the night before.
On Sunday, police pulled Wright over for a traffic infraction, and a subsequent background check showed a warrant out for his arrest, one of which was for carrying a firearm without a permit. As officers tried to apprehend him, Wright slipped back into the driver’s door, which is when officer Kimberly Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, fired one round, which hit him.
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Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon, who has since resigned, said the body camera footage led him to believe this was an “accidental shooting” in which the officer meant to fire her Taser and not her firearm.
The body camera footage showed the struggle during which Porter shouted, “I’ll tase you! I’ll tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser!” And moments later: “Holy s—. I shot him.”
She resigned as well.
