Minnesota on edge as protests ensue for third straight night

by Alexandra Kelley | April 14, 2021 | Apr. 14, 2021

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Protesters confront law enforcement outside the Brooklyn Center police headquarters on April 13, 2021 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Demonstrations have become a daily occurrence since Daunte Wright, 20, was shot and killed by Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter on Sunday. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Story at a glance

On Sunday, police officers fatally shot 20-year-old Black man Daunte Wright during a traffic stop.
Protests against the police department have ensued since.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott both declared curfews in response to the demonstrations.

In the wake of Daunte Wright’s death during a police traffic stop and attempted arrest, protesters in Brooklyn Center clashed with police for the third consecutive night.

Local outlet the Minneapolis Star Tribune chronicles the demonstration outside of the Brooklyn Center Police Department that occurred Tuesday night.

Wright’s shooting occurred on Sunday.

Protests reportedly began peacefully at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. By nightfall, roughly 800 to 1,000 demonstrators arrived at the police station.

In response, multiple police officers dressed in protective riot gear stood alongside members of the Minnesota National Guard on the other side of a large metal fence dividing the officers from the protesters.

Ahead of the potential tension, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott (D) declared a curfew for the city beginning at 10 p.m.

Later in the evening, some protesters reportedly began shaking the fence dividing them from the police station, throwing debris at officers.

As the curfew passed and protesters remained outside the police station, officers began to deploy teargas and flashbangs in a bid to disperse the crowd.

State patrol coming heavy w gas and numbers pic.twitter.com/cUG6LdGuS9

— Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) April 14, 2021

Across nearby Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota Counties, state Gov. Tim Walz (D) issued a broader curfew for 7 p.m.

Booker Hodges, the assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, thanked those who protested peacefully on Tuesday night in a press conference, while acknowledging some did not.

“For months, we’ve been saying that riotous behavior is just not going to be tolerated, and unfortunately tonight that is some of the things we’ve encountered.”

Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson further stated that some officers had been injured as objects were thrown at them.

“Long night, but I think we maintained as much order as we could, and hopefully tomorrow night is nice and relaxed,” Hutchinson said.

The officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright, Kim Potter, resigned following the incident. Former Police Chief Tim Gannon resigned as well.

“Because you all showed up, Kim Potter doesn’t have a job anymore,” activist Toussaint Morrison reportedly said. “Kim Potter was a police officer longer than Daunte was alive. … You can’t tell me that was an accident.”