WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today the Justice Department has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the City of Minneapolis (the City) and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). The investigation will assess all types of force used by MPD officers, including uses of force involving individuals with behavioral health disabilities and uses of force against individuals engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment. The investigation will also assess whether MPD engages in discriminatory policing. As part of the investigation the Justice Department will conduct a comprehensive review of MPD policies, training and supervision. The department will also examine MPD’s systems of accountability, including complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition and discipline. The Department of Justice will also reach out to community groups and members of the public to learn about their experiences with MPD.
“The investigation I am announcing today will assess whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests,” said Attorney General Garland. “Building trust between community and law enforcement will take time and effort by all of us, but we undertake this task with determination and urgency, knowing that change cannot wait.”
This morning, Department of Justice officials informed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, MPD Chief Medaria Arradondo, City Attorney Jim Rowader, City Coordinator Mark Ruff, and City Council President Lisa Bender of the investigation. The department will continue to work closely with both the City and MPD as the investigation progresses.
“One of the Civil Rights Division’s highest priorities is to ensure that every person in this country benefits from public safety systems that are lawful, responsive, transparent and nondiscriminatory,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “It is essential that police departments across the country use their law enforcement authority, including the authority to use force, in a manner that respects civil rights and the sanctity of human life.”
“People throughout the city of Minneapolis want a public safety system that protects and serves all members of our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota. “This investigation by the Department of Justice provides a vital step to restore and build trust in the Minneapolis Police Department and its officers.”
The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The Act allows the Department of Justice to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation. The department will be assessing law enforcement practices under the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as under the Safe Streets Act of 1968, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, are jointly conducting this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice via email at Community.Minneapolis@usdoj.gov or by phone at 866-432-0268. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s new reporting portal, available at civilrights.justice.gov.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation knowingly violated the Constitution to track down potential ‘racially motivated violent extremists.’ But the FBI didn’t conduct its unconstitutional dragnet following the January 6th Capitol riots, it actually started its probe in November — in the midst of a contested election.
African Americans — despite making up roughly 12 percent of the population committed 55 percent of homicides for that year—roughly 9,000 of the 16,400 murders & non-negligent manslaughter crimes. Guess at how many unarmed black men were shot and killed by police officers that same year? 12 Not percent. That’s the total number of persons.
12 too many
How many brought it on themselves?
Young black men commit by far more violent crime than any other single demographic group.
The idea behind this forgets that the Black people who commit those crimes in this country are also more apt to live in poverty and that is through little fault of their own. Violence overall tends to center in poverty-stricken areas and only when we work at rectifying the poverty angle, will we reduce violent crime in America.
Like moving them to Mason City…they sure changed there ways didn’t they?
We say their must be a least (1) person in mason city with 23 arrests including at least 6 felonies and a druggie that we can make a martyr out of – come on chamber help us out – were desperate. Look up pea and taters he’ll KNOW !
Peas and Taters is the one.
I think 537 DC politicians should be investigated.
This shouldn’t be a very difficult investigation once the whole department is defunded and disbanded.
This outta be good.
Afraid to go to Portland Oregon ?
Will this investigation be unbiased?
No
As unbiased and fair as the Chauvin trial.
which was pretty fair trial. Perhaps you would have thought it fairer if all the jurors were 35 years old white males who haven’t gone back to work yet because they make too much money sitting at home, but that is not how our justice system works.
you are correct. the jury should have been sequestered
It states he was anxious, it also goes on to say,”he believes people have the right to protest, but at the same time, he realizes that businesses are shut down and damaged, and his wife is unable to make it to work. He wants to serve on the jury because “it is a service to my community and our country.”
I see what he said,”he realizes that businesses are shut down and damaged, and his wife is unable to make it to work.” He will do what it takes to try and stop this from happening again.
First part of this disappeared, I pointed out that 8 out of the 12 jurors already had their minds made up before the trial.
Breakdowns of the juror questionnaires are very telling. This is why I say the trial wasn’t unbiased.
On the questionnaires, there are answers like, “She said viewing the video of Floyd’s death before the trial left her with a “somewhat negative” impression of Chauvin.”, or ” Before the trial began, he said he had seen at least portions of the video of Floyd’s death and had a somewhat negative view of Chauvin”, or ” The woman said the bystander video, which she had viewed before the trial began, left her with a somewhat negative view of Chauvin”.
SUUURE, they will be unbiased.
Source for juror questionnaire breakdowns: https://www.startribune.com/who-are-the-jurors-in-the-derek-chauvin-trial-for-the-killing-of-george-floyd-in-minneapolis/600037651/?refresh=true