Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday that the Department of Justice will conduct an investigation into law enforcement in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd.
The announcement comes a day after a jury in Hennepin County convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin of second-degree murder for Floyd’s murder.
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“Yesterday’s ruling in the criminal trial does not address possible systemic policing issues in Minneapolis,” Garland said at a news conference.
Garland said the investigation will be a “comprehensive survey” that will examine whether the Minneapolis Police Department has a “pattern or practice of unconstitutional or illegal policing.” He said this includes the use of ‘excessive violence, including during protests’, as well as’ discriminatory behavior and whether its treatment is illegal for those with behavioral problems.
The investigation will be conducted by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, and the MPD’s policies, training, supervision, terms of use, liability systems and more will be investigated to determine if “other mechanisms” are needed. to be in place.,
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“I strongly believe that good officers do not want to work in systems that allow bad practices,” Garland said. “Good officials welcome accountability because accountability is an essential part of building trust in the community and public safety requires trust from the public.”
Floyd’s death sparked a wave of protests, riots and activism across the country due to Chauvin’s behavior, in which he knelt on Floyd’s neck and pinned him to the ground for more than nine minutes.
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The police investigation is not the only federal investigation that came out of the incident that left Floyd dead. After reading the verdict on Tuesday, Garland issued a statement in which he sympathizes with Floyd’s family and reminds the country that a federal civil rights investigation is still ongoing.
‘While the state’s prosecution has been successful, I know that nothing can fill the void that George Floyd’s loved ones have experienced since his death. The Department of Justice had earlier announced a federal civil rights inquiry into the death of George Floyd. continuously. “
Fox Spider’s David Spunt contributed to this report.