Judge approves Minneapolis police reform deal after George Floyd’s murder

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — (FloridaToday.news) — Minneapolis must implement police reforms in the wake of the killing of George Floyd after a judge on Thursday approved a settlement between the city and the state Department of Human Rights.

The Star Tribune reported that Hennepin County Judge Karen Janisch signed a settlement that calls for de-escalation whenever possible, restrictions on the use of tear gas and other chemicals, and an end to police stops for broken taillights and odor-based searches. . marijuana.

“This is a huge structure. The city has a lot of work to do in the near future,” Janisch said. “I hope that the city will rise to the occasion and that you can find good people who can continue this work.”

The Department of Human Rights launched an investigation shortly after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9.5 minutes on May 25, 2020, ignoring the black man’s fading pleas that he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death sparked mass protests around the world, forced the country to acknowledge racial injustice, and forced the Minneapolis Police Department to overhaul.

The Minnesota Human Rights Agency released a stunning report last year after its investigation found that the police department had used racial discrimination for at least a decade. The U.S. Department of Justice, which also launched a similar investigation, issued a scathing criticism of the department in June, alleging that officers systematically discriminated against racial minorities, violated constitutional rights, and ignored the safety of people in custody for years before Floyd was killed.

Under an agreement with the state, training in a controversial state of aroused delirium – a key issue in the confrontation that led to Floyd’s death – will be prohibited.

The settlement also regulates the use of body cameras and video recorders; officer health; and responding to mental health and behavioral crises. An independent assessor should be appointed to monitor compliance.

“This came after we spent months with the City, negotiating and interacting with community members and police officers and listening to them, as well as bringing their ideas right to the negotiating table to then implement them in a consent decree,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights spokeswoman Taylor Putz.

Janisch approved the settlement despite calls for a review by some police responsibility groups, concerned that it would be too easy for the police union to bypass the changes and that it could mean milder police disciplinary action would be hidden from the public.

Police watchdog group Communities United Against Police Brutality praised much of the consent decree but questioned individual clauses that said “nothing in this agreement will be construed as obliging the city or any unions to violate and/ or waive any rights or obligations under the terms of collective bargaining agreements.”

“This means that the cops can get around anything in this consent order by including it in their union agreement,” volunteer Andrew Kluis told participants in a public review of the settlement agreement last month.

Floyd, 46, was arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a market corner. He fought the police when they tried to put him in a patrol car, and although he was already handcuffed, they threw him to the ground.

Chauvin was found guilty of murder in April 2021 and sentenced to 22.5 years on that charge. He also pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years in that case. He is serving these terms in Tucson, Arizona. Three other officers at the scene are serving prison terms for their role in the case.

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