Wednesday, 21 April 2021 (YJC)_ Merrick Garland announces probe of Minneapolis Police Department after Chauvin conviction.
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday announced that the Department of Justice is launching an investigation into the practices of the Minneapolis Police Department.
“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,” Garland said during a news conference.
The announcement came one day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted by a jury in the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, who was killed in custody last year. Video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd for more than nine minutes while the handcuffed man struggled to breathe sparked protests around the country.
Garland said the investigation will also examine whether the department’s treatment of individuals with behavioral health disabilities is lawful. He said the department had already begun outreach to the local community.
“Yesterday’s verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis,” Garland said.
The Justice Department probe is known as a pattern-or-practice investigation. The Justice Department had earlier announced a separate investigation into whether Chauvin violated Floyd’s civil rights.
During his remarks, Garland emphasized that he believed that the majority of the nation’s police officers did their best to uphold the law.
“I strongly believe that good officers do not want to work in systems that allow bad practices. Good officers welcome accountability, because accountability is an essential part of building trust with the community, and public safety requires public trust,” Garland said.
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