The mayor of Minneapolis declared a state of emergency on Monday, April 12, and declared a curfew after the scuffles that followed the death Sunday of Daunte Wright, a young African-American who was killed by police in the suburbs of Minneapolis. large city in the northern United States.
"The pain we feel cannot translate into violence, the destruction of livelihoods or small local shops," said Jacob Frey, announcing a 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. local curfew, which will be also in force in the three counties of the agglomeration.
He stressed that law enforcement and the Minnesota National Guard would be deployed in numbers.
US President Joe Biden on Monday deplored this "tragic" death while calling on the demonstrators to remain "peaceful".
"What happened" Sunday in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis, "is really tragic but I think we have to wait and see what the investigation tells us," he told reporters from the Oval Office.
The peaceful protests "are" understandable, "he added." In the meantime, I want to say it again clearly: there is absolutely no justification, none, for the looting.
"An accidental shooting" according to the police
Daunte Wright, 20, was killed on Sunday by a policewoman who "pulled out her gun in place of her taser," an electric pulse pistol believed to be non-lethal, the Brooklyn Center Police Chief said, Tim Gannon at a press conference Monday.
Daunte Wright's vehicle, which was traveling with his girlfriend, was stopped for a traffic stop.
The police then realized that he was the subject of an arrest warrant and attempted to arrest him.
"The officer intended to use her taser but instead fired a single bullet" at Daunte Wright, explained Chief Tim Gannon.
To support his remarks, he presented the recording of the drama by the policewoman's camera-pedestrian.
In these images, officers are seen removing the young man from his vehicle and starting to handcuff him when Daunte Wright abruptly gets back into his car and tries to extricate herself from the pressure of an officer.
The policewoman can be heard shouting "taser, taser", to signal that she is going to shoot.
Instead, a gunshot echoes.
The car continued to travel a few hundred meters before colliding with another vehicle.
The policewoman, who was "experienced" according to her boss, was placed on leave.
His name has not yet been made public.
"She has the right to be heard and to give her version," said the police chief, reacting to calls to dismiss the policewoman.
Anger in Minneapolis
The death of Daunte Wright has rekindled anger in Minneapolis, this large city in the United States, which was set ablaze after the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, below the knee of white policeman Derek Chauvin.
On Sunday evening, some 200 demonstrators protested outside the Brooklyn Center police station.
Clashes between protesters and the police, and around 20 shops were looted, according to local authorities who arrested around 30 people.
The police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd.
The mayor of Brooklyn Center eventually declared a curfew and some 500 National Guard troops were deployed to restore calm.
A new drama in the midst of the George Floyd murder trial
The region is already under high tension since it is in Minneapolis that the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white police officer accused of the murder of George Floyd last year, is taking place.
The death of the African-American 40-year-old was the source of a historic wave of anti-racist protests in the United States and around the world.
>> To read France 24 "George Floyd: expectations and hopes of African Americans at the trial of Derek Chauvin"
In this tense climate, Derek Chauvin's lawyer on Monday morning asked Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over this historic trial, to immediately place the jurors on the sidelines to prevent them from being pressured.
"I understand that there is civil unrest" but "I do not believe that this is a cause for further concern", replied the magistrate.
The mayor of Brooklyn Center drew the parallel between the two files.
“It couldn't have happened at a worse time,” said Mike Elliott.
"The whole world is watching our community which has been upset since the death of George Floyd, and anxious since the start of Derek Chauvin's trial."
With AFP
The summary of the week
France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application
google-play-badge_FR