Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced Friday that the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the City of Minneapolis (City) violate civil rights laws, according to the Department of Justice.
The Department concluded that there is lack of policy, training, supervision, and accountability.
“George Floyd’s death had an irrevocable impact on his family, on the Minneapolis community, on our country, and on the world,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The patterns and practices of conduct the Justice Department observed during our investigation are deeply disturbing. They erode the community’s trust in law enforcement. And they made what happened to George Floyd possible.
Adding, Friday, “…we have completed our investigation, but this is only the first step. We will continue to work with the city and the MPD toward ensuring that MPD officers have the support and resources they need to do their jobs effectively and lawfully as we work together toward meaningful and durable reform.”
The Department also announced that the city and MPD have agreed to resolve the Department’s findings through a court-enforceable consent decree with an independent monitor rather than through contested litigation.
Specifically, the Justice Department finds that the MPD:
- Uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of Tasers.
- Unlawfully discriminates against Black people and Native American people in its enforcement activities, including the use of force following stops.
- Violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech.
- The city discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance.
“I know this community is still hurting and that today’s announcement may also open up old wounds,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Justice Department is committed to working with Minneapolis on a path forward, to constitutional policing, and stronger police-community trust. Together we can build a Minneapolis that protects the rights, safety, and dignity of all.”
The Department opened this investigation on April 21, 2021.
The investigation was conducted by career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
The team conducted numerous onsite tours of MPD facilities; interviewed MPD officers, supervisors, and command staff; spoke with city officials and employees; accompanied behavioral crisis responders and officers on ride-alongs; reviewed thousands of documents; and watched thousands of hours of body-worn camera footage. Department attorneys and staff also met with community members, advocates, service providers, and other stakeholders in the Minneapolis area.
The Department conducted this investigation which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights.
The findings announced today are the result of the Department’s civil pattern or practice investigation and are separate from the Department’s criminal cases against former MPD officers for federal crimes related to the death of George Floyd.
George Floyd was a 46-year-old Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020
This is one of eight investigations into law enforcement agencies opened during this Administration by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department:
Mount Vernon Police Department
New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Division
Oklahoma City Police Department.
The Department has issued reports in the past year regarding the Louisville Metro Police Department, as well as the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Department.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota is available at www.justice.gov/usao-mn.