[ad_1]
Police in Minneapolis, USA, shot and killed a man during a traffic stop on the south side of the city on Wednesday night (local time), sparking anxiety over renewed protests after the first police deaths in the city since George Floyd’s death while being arrested in May.
Police said the man was killed in an exchange of gunfire, and Chief Medaria Arradondo said witnesses said the man shot first. He said the officers’ body cameras were on and promised to release the video Thursday.
“I want our communities to see that so they can see it for themselves,” he said. Until then, Arradondo said, “Please allow me, the (state) investigators, give us the time, get the evidence, the facts, so that we can process this.”
Jeff Wheeler / AP
The scene of the fatal shooting in Minneapolis.
Police spokesman John Elder said the incident occurred around 6:15 p.m. while officers were conducting a traffic stop with a man suspected of a serious crime. Police did not provide details of the alleged crime or release any information about the man, including his race.
READ MORE:
* Minneapolis Police Chief Says George Floyd’s Death Was ‘Murder’
* Citizens Rise Up: A Timeline of Global Protests Following the Death of George Floyd
* Minneapolis city council commits to dismantling the police department
Elder said medical personnel pronounced the man dead at the scene. A woman in the car was unharmed, Elder said. He declined to say whether police recovered a gun at the scene of the shooting, a Holiday gas station.
Elder said no officers were injured. He said he did not know how many officers were at the scene conducting the traffic stop or how many were involved in the shooting.
The state Office of Criminal Detention is handling an investigation.
Dozens of people gathered at the scene in the hours after the shooting, including some who interrupted Elder and harshly questioned him while he was delivering a press conference.
Jeff Wheeler / AP
Minneapolis Police spokesman John Elder briefs community members and others about the shooting that involved the officer.
Arradondo said the trafficking stop was carried out by members of a police community response team, long-standing units that respond to things like drug investigations and firearm crimes. He said he had no additional details on why the man was wanted.
The shooting happened less than a mile (1.61 km) from the corner of the street where George Floyd, a black man, died in May after a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for minutes, including when Floyd begged him that he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death sparked days of sometimes violent protests that swept across the country.
In Minneapolis, Floyd’s death also sparked a sea change in the police department, long criticized by activists for what they called a brutal culture that resisted change. A push by some City Council members to replace the department with a new public safety unit failed this summer.
Mayor Jacob Frey and Arradondo, who opposed the removal of the department, have offered several policy changes since Floyd’s death, including limiting the use of so-called no-strike warrants, revising the use of force policies. and requiring officers to report attempts to reduce situations.
Jeff Wheeler / AP
The incident occurred on Wednesday night (local time) while officers were making a traffic stop with a man suspected of a serious crime. A passenger was unharmed.
Frey said in a statement Wednesday night that he was working with Arradondo to obtain information about the shooting and vowed to get it out as quickly as possible in coordination with the state investigation.
“The events of the past year have marked some of the darkest days in our city,” Frey said. “We know that a life has been cut short and that trust between communities of color and law enforcement is fragile … we must all be committed to learning the facts, seeking justice and maintaining peace.”
All four officers involved in Floyd’s death were fired and promptly charged with his death. They are scheduled for trial in March.
