Two years after the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department following the killing of George Floyd, Attorney General Merrick Garland is visiting Minneapolis to make an announcement in 鈥渁 civil rights matter.鈥
Justice Department and city officials declined on Thursday to confirm that Friday's news conference at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis is to announce findings of that police department investigation. But a Justice Department advisory said Garland will be joined by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Police Chief Brian O'Hara and others. Also, a link to a Justice Department public webinar scheduled for Friday afternoon has the heading, 鈥淒OJ Presentation for MPD Investigative Findings.鈥
The 鈥減attern or practice鈥 investigation was a day after former officer in the killing of Floyd. The Black man repeatedly said he couldn鈥檛 breathe then went limp as Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes.
The killing was recorded by a bystander and sparked months of mass protests as part of a broader
The federal investigation concerns whether the Minneapolis Police Department engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing. Such investigations typically look at the use of force by officers, including force used during protests, and whether the department engages in discriminatory practices. The investigation also was expected to assess the way the department handled misconduct allegations and how it held officers accountable.
by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights led to a 鈥渃ourt-enforceable settlement agreement鈥 to revamp policing in the city and address the problems identified in the state investigation. Frey and state Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero
The state investigation, which concluded in April 2022, found 鈥渟ignificant racial disparities with respect to officers鈥 use of force, traffic stops, searches, citations, and arrests.鈥 And it criticized "an organizational culture where some officers and supervisors use racist, misogynistic, and disrespectful language with impunity.鈥
Lucero said the legally binding agreement requires the city and the police department to make 鈥渢ransformational changes鈥 to fix the organizational culture of the force, and that it could serve as a model for how cities, police departments and community members elsewhere work to stop race-based policing.
The federal investigation could prompt a separate but similar court-enforceable agreement, that would overlap the settlement with the state. Several police departments in other cities for alleged civil rights violations.
Floyd, 46, was arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner market. He struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car, and they put the handcuffed man on the ground instead. As Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyd鈥檚 neck, J. Alexander Kueng held Floyd鈥檚 back, Thomas Lane held Floyd鈥檚 feet and Tou Thao kept bystanders back.
Chauvin, who is white, was sentenced to 22 1/2 years for murder. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd鈥檚 civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years in that case. He is serving the sentences concurrently at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona.
of federal charges in February 2022. All three were convicted of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care, and Thao and Kueng were also convicted of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the killing. have since pleaded guilty to a state count of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, and in exchange counts of aiding and abetting murder were dropped.
Lane, who is white, is serving his 2 1/2-year federal sentence at a facility in Colorado. He is serving a three-year state sentence at the same time. Kueng, who is Black, is serving a three-year federal sentence in Ohio, while also serving a 3 1/2-year state sentence.
Thao, who is Hmong American, got a 3 1/2-year federal sentence. The judge in the state case in May. Thao had said it 鈥渨ould be lying鈥 to have pleaded guilty, and he agreed to let the judge decide the case. The judge set sentencing for Aug. 7.
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