Ministry of Justice to investigate policing practices in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death

Ministry of Justice to investigate policing practices in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death

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“The challenges we face are deeply intertwined in our history. It did not arise today or last year. It will take time and effort for all of us to build trust between the community and law enforcement,” said Garland. “But we are undertaking this task with determination and urgency, knowing that change cannot wait.”

The broad federal civilian investigation will include a “comprehensive review” of the Minneapolis police station’s “policies, training, surveillance and use of violent investigations,” he announced.

It will assess whether the Minneapolis police station “has a” pattern or use of excessive force, including during protests “, whether it” acts discriminatory “, and whether” the treatment of those with behavioral problems is illegal, “Garland said.

The Justice Department’s announcement comes after the guilty verdict against Chauvin for the murder of Floyd. In a video of bystanders, on May 25, 2020, Chauvin was caught for 9 minutes and 29 seconds kneeling on the neck and back of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man.

Chauvin could face up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder and up to ten years for manslaughter. Three other officers – Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane – are expected to stand trial in August.

The new civil investigation, according to the attorney general, is separate from an independent federal criminal investigation into Floyd’s death, which is still ongoing.

Garland acknowledged that police officers have ‘hard work’, but added: ‘I believe good officers do not want to work in systems that allow bad practices. Good officials welcome accountability. ‘

Calls for policing reform

Floyd’s death was a year of protests and rallies over American policing, with Democratic and progressive calls to reform the system.

President Joe Biden called the ruling in the Chauvin trial on Tuesday a far too rare step for black men and said ‘we can not stop here’. The trial and other recent shootings at the police have put pressure on the Biden government and U.S. lawmakers to make policy changes. In the coming weeks, key Democratic and Republican lawmakers plan to hold substantive discussions to see if an agreement on the overhaul of policing can be reached by commemorating Floyd’s death next month.
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In a speech last week, Garland promised to investigate the practices of police departments that commit civil rights violations.

Garland said at the time that the Department of Justice’s efforts would include the use of grants to help police departments across the country ‘improve their practices through funding and technical assistance, to promote policing policies that benefit communities and promote trust’. . ‘

The attorney general also recalled an order from the Trump era that limited the use of civilian settlements with the police department that has allegations of civil rights violations.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Jessica Schneider contributed to this report.

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