Police deploy tear gas & flashbangs against crowd of Daunte Wright protesters outside Brooklyn Center precinct (VIDEOS)
Police in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center once again used teargas and flash-bang grenades to disperse a crowd of Black Lives Matter activists protesting the shooting of Daunte Wright.
For the third night in a row, protesters rallied outside the police station, chanting Wright’s name and “Black Lives Matter,” as police sought to disperse the “unlawful assembly.”
Current scene here in #BrooklynCenter Police try and break up the protesters for #DaunteWright with tear gas and flash bangs pic.twitter.com/DJjKCwpMnI
— Lisa Bennatan (@LisaBennatan) April 14, 2021
A stubborn crowd rallied outside the police station despite the near-freezing temperature and light snow.
I just got the best footage of my life. I’m in legit pain. So much pain. But this footage is amazing. Will upload when safe. Here’s a snippet. pic.twitter.com/GBtjuJFVOX
— Sophia (Checkmark Killa) Narwitz (@SophNar0747) April 14, 2021
As police fired smoke and gas grenades into the crowd, some activists tried putting plastic buckets and traffic cones over them. Over the loudspeaker, officers called for media and press to “leave the area now.”
Dispersal order pic.twitter.com/CKzNnTvllP
— Sophia (Checkmark Killa) Narwitz (@SophNar0747) April 14, 2021
The Twin Cities and the surrounding jurisdictions have declared a curfew effective 10 pm local time on Tuesday and ending at 6 am.
A curfew is in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday in: ➡️ Minneapolis➡️ St. Paul➡️ Brooklyn Center➡️ Crystal➡️ Maple Grove➡️ Columbia Heights➡️ New Hope➡️ Robbinsdale ➡️ Brooklyn Park (8 p.m.)Check your city's website to see if a curfew is in place.
— Minnesota OSN (@MinnesotaOSN) April 13, 2021
One video from the scene showed a line of officers rushing and arresting a group of activists who were kneeling on the ground and chanting.
This group was quickly rushed by police and then detained pic.twitter.com/NTyEKnHK59
— Richie🎥McG🍿 (@RichieMcGinniss) April 14, 2021
Some of the protesters brought umbrellas and tried to set up a “shield wall” previously observed in Hong Kong, facing a line of state troopers wearing riot armor and armed with batons. One activist carried a shield with ‘ACAB’ (All Cops Are Bastards) graffiti on it.
Some in the group also have leaf blowers, here they employ them to clear out tear gas after canisters deployed and a flashbang detonated in the middle of the group pic.twitter.com/hdbZktIj30
— Richie🎥McG🍿 (@RichieMcGinniss) April 14, 2021
Protests in Brooklyn Center, a community northwest of Minneapolis, first erupted on Sunday after a female police officer shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright, an African-American man, during a traffic stop.
Rioters throw objects at National Guard as they pass by on their way to the Brooklyn Center Police Department pic.twitter.com/SEFawSDYnC
— James Klüg (@realJamesKlug) April 14, 2021
The officer, later identified as Kim Potter, “accidentally discharged” her firearm into Wright when he slipped away from her partner and tried to escape in his car, police said after releasing body camera footage of the incident. She was giving a “taser” warning and believed to have been using her stun gun instead. Wright had an outstanding warrant for a gun violation. Potter has since resigned, but protesters are calling for her to be criminally charged.
Fireworks set off as police lines make their way into residential blocks near the Brooklyn Center Police station #BrooklynCenter#BrooklynCenterMNpic.twitter.com/nHT6QMX0Jh
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) April 14, 2021
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!