The Minneapolis Police Department engaged in years of racial discrimination, excessive and unlawful use of force, First Amendment violations, and more, according to a scathing report issued by the Department of Justice.
On Friday (June 16), the Justice Department released the findings of its investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department three years after George Floyd was murdered by ex-officer Derek Chauvin, per CNN.
“Our investigation found that the systemic problems in MPD made what happened to George Floyd possible,” the report states.
For years, the department has employed dangerous "techniques and weapons" and "unjustified deadly force" against people who committed a petty offense or no crime at all, the DOJ said. In one example, a woman was shot by an officer after she allegedly "spooked" him as she approached his police car.
"MPD used force to punish people who made officers angry or criticized the police,” according to the report, and “patrolled neighborhoods differently based on their racial composition and discriminated based on race when searching, handcuffing, or using force against people during stops.”
Further, the investigation found the department disproportionately stopped and used force against Black and Native American people. “During stops involving Black and Native American people, MPD conducts searches and uses force more often than it does during stops involving white people engaged in similar behavior,” the report states. “We estimate that MPD stops Black people at 6.5 times the rate at which it stops White people, given their shares of the population. Similarly, we estimate MPD stops Native American people at 7.9 times the rate at which it stops white people, given population shares.”
MPD employees interviewed by the Justice Department cited discriminatory comments made by their colleagues, including: “You don’t have to worry about Black people during the day ‘cuz they haven’t woken up—crime starts at night.”
Minneapolis police also violated people's First Amendment rights with the DOJ citing that officers “regularly retaliate against people for their speech or presence at protests – particularly when they criticize police.” “MPD officers frequently use indiscriminate force, failing to distinguish between peaceful protesters and those committing crimes,” the report says. “For example, MPD officers regularly use 40 mm launchers – firearms that shoot impact projectiles, like rubber bullets – against protesters who are committing no crime or who are dispersing.”
The investigation comes after Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes during an arrest on May 25, 2020. Video of the arrest garnered national attention and prompted widespread protests against police brutality. Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison on second-degree murder charges and was handed down a concurrent 21 years for violating Floyd's civil rights.
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