The murder of an African American in Minneapolis, a new racist police incident

Minneapolis: Tear gas, clashes, demonstrators, a harsh police response – the epilogue is a curfew. The trigger is the exact same one that sparked mass protests last year – the police killed another African American. This time over a traffic stop, just 15 kilometers from the spot where George Floyd was killed.

Relatives have identified the deceased young man. He is 20-year-old Dante Wright.

Hundreds of demonstrators chanted the name of Dante Wright and gathered outside the police station in Brooklyn Center.

Tensions rose when police donned riot gear, and two police vehicles were pelted with stones.

Hundreds of demonstrators tried to enter the police station, chanting: „If we don't get justice, they won't get peace.“.

Some knelt before the police with their hands on their heads. Others stood in silence with signs bearing the names of African Americans killed by the police.

Police officers stood shoulder to shoulder, creating a human barricade in front of the Brooklyn Police Department. They wore helmets, shields, and other gear, determined to protect the building from any potential incursions by protesters.

The Mayor of Brooklyn instituted a curfew, telling the gathered crowd to go home to safety.

Protesters wrote with chalk on the sidewalks and lit candles, but the police broke up the gathering by firing tear gas and stun grenades.

In a video message about the death of Dante, Mayor Eliot said he would ensure that justice is served.

„"Brooklyn closed all school buildings today and canceled all activities," local media report.

In a statement, the Brooklyn Police Department stated that officers detained a man for a traffic violation and discovered that a warrant had already been issued for his arrest.

They said that when the police tried to arrest him, he got back into the vehicle.

The police officer then shot the driver, who drove for several more blocks before crashing into another vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A female passenger in the vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the involved officers were wearing body cameras, and surveillance cameras were also activated.

The mother of the slain young man, Kate, said her son called her during the traffic stop and told her he was pulled over for "air fresheners hanging from his rearview mirror." She said she then heard an argument and the phone line was disconnected.

„"A minute later, I called him and his girlfriend, who was in the passenger seat of the car, answered and said that he had been shot," says the mother.

She said that the police left her son's body on the ground.

„Nobody will tell us anything. Nobody will talk to us... I said, please, get my son off the ground,“ she adds.

Mayor Elliott said the shooting was a series of unfortunate events, and Governor Walz said Minneapolis is mourning another Black life blamed on law enforcement.

SOURCE: NOVA PHOTO: NBC4 WASHINGTON