Cop, police chief resign 2 days after Black motorist's death
Brooklyn Center (Minnesota): A white police officer who fatally shot a Black man during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb resigned Tuesday, as did the city's police chief moves that the mayor said he hoped would help heal the community and lead to reconciliation after two nights of protests and unrest.
But police and protesters faced off once again after nightfall Tuesday, with hundreds of protesters gathering again at Brooklyn Center's heavily guarded police headquarters, now ringed by concrete barriers and a tall metal fence, and where police in riot gear and National Guard soldiers stood watch. Murderapolis was scrawled with black spray paint on a concrete barrier.
Whose street? Our street! the crowd chanted under a light snowfall.
About 90 minutes before the curfew deadline, state police announced over a loudspeaker that the gathering had been declared unlawful and ordered the crowds to disperse. That quickly set off confrontations, with protesters launching fireworks toward the station and throwing objects at police, who launched flashbangs and gas grenades, and then marched in a line to force back the crowd.
You are hereby ordered to disperse, authorities announced, warning that anyone not leaving would be arrested. The state police said the dispersal order came before the 10 p.m. curfew because protesters were trying to take down the fencing and throwing rocks at police. The number of protesters dropped rapidly over the next hour, until only a few remained. Police also ordered all media to leave the scene.
The resignations from Officer Kim Potter and Police Chief Tim Gannon came two days after the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center. Potter, a 26-year veteran, had been on administrative leave following Sunday's shooting, which happened as the Minneapolis area was already on edge over the trial of an officer charged in George Floyd's death.
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said at a news conference that the city had been moving toward firing Potter when she resigned. Elliott said he hoped her resignation would bring some calm to the community, but that he would keep working toward full accountability under the law.
We have to make sure that justice is served, justice is done. Daunte Wright deserves that. His family deserves that, Elliott said.
A decision on whether prosecutors will charge Potter could come as soon as Wednesday. Meanwhile, the cities of Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis and St. Paul imposed 10 p.m. curfews.
Gannon has said he believed Potter mistakenly grabbed her gun when she was going for her Taser. She can be heard on her body camera video shouting Taser! Taser! However, protesters and Wright's family members say there's no excuse for the shooting and it shows how the justice system is tilted against Blacks, noting Wright was stopped for an expired car registration and ended up dead.
Activists who attended the mayor's news conference called for sweeping changes to the Brooklyn Center Police Department and sharply criticized the acting police chief, Tony Gruenig, for not yet having a plan.
Elliott said the department has about 49 police officers, none of whom live in Brooklyn Center. He said he didn't have information on racial diversity at hand but that we have very few people of color in our department.
The modest suburb just north of Minneapolis has seen its demographics shift dramatically in recent years. In 2000, more than 70 per cent of the city was white. Today, a majority of residents are Black, Asian or Hispanic.
After stopping Wright for the expired license plates, police tried to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. The warrant was for his failure to appear in court on charges that he fled from officers and possessed a gun without a permit during an encounter with Minneapolis police in June.
Body camera footage released Monday shows Wright struggling with police when Potter shouts, I'll Tase you! I'll Tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser! She draws her weapon after the man breaks free from police outside his car and gets back behind the wheel.
After firing a single shot from her handgun, the car speeds away, and Potter says, Holy (expletive)! I shot him.
Wright died of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the medical examiner.
Protests began within hours.
In her one-paragraph letter of resignation, Potter said, I have loved every minute of being a police officer and serving this community to the best of my ability, but I believe it is in the best interest of the community, the department, and my fellow officers if I resign immediately."
Wright's father, Aubrey Wright, told ABC's Good Morning America that he rejects the explanation that Potter mistook her gun for her Taser.
I lost my son. He's never coming back. I can't accept that. A mistake? That doesn't even sound right. This officer has been on the force for 26 years. I can't accept that, he said.
Chyna Whitaker, mother of Daunte's son, said at a news conference that she felt police stole my son's dad from him.
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association said in a statement Tuesday that no conclusions should be made until the investigation is complete.
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PV Sindhu stranded in Dubai as flights remain suspended
New Delhi (PTI): Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was on Saturday left stranded at Dubai airport en route to the prestigious All England Open badminton tournament, after flight operations were suspended owing to escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
The tournament is scheduled to start from next Tuesday.
Sindhu took to Instagram and posted a video showing a crowded airport with a caption: "All flights suspended until further notice.”
Later, the Indian superstar shuttler said she was safe but stuck with her team. She added that the speed at which the tensions have escalated is “terrifying”.
“It’s hard to process what’s unfolding right now. Hearing the interceptions overhead and seeing how quickly everything has escalated is honestly terrifying,” Sindhu wrote on 'X'.
“So many disturbing videos are coming to light, and this is sadly the reality of what is happening. Dubai is a city I deeply love, a place that has always felt safe and full of life, which makes this moment even harder to comprehend.
“To everyone who has been messaging and checking in, thank you, it truly means a lot. I am safe right now, stuck here with my team, and we are doing okay as the situation around the war with Iran continues to evolve,” she added.
Sindhu said that airports are chaotic with many families “stranded and waiting”.
“Airports are chaotic, with many families stranded and waiting, all of us just hoping we get past this soon. I’m sure the authorities are doing everything in their power, and like everyone here, we’re holding on to patience and hope,” she wrote.
“Moments like these remind you how fragile normal life really is. Praying for safety and peace for everyone affected.”
The US and Israel launched a major offensive on Iran on Saturday, with American President Donald Trump calling on the Iranian public to overthrow the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979.
The military strikes have led to a closure of air space in the Gulf region and caused disruption to several flights, including Emirates and Air India.
Air India cancelled all its flight to and from the Gulf region, mainly to Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Muscat, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv, Israel, the airline said in a statement posted on 'X'.
The Dubai airport too suspended all operations indefinitely due to airspace closures following missile strikes involving the US, Israel and Iran.
