A man was fatally shot by Minneapolis officers on Wednesday night, marking the first police-involved death in the city since the murder of George Floyd in May, The New York Times reports. The shooting took place less than a mile away from where Floyd was killed.
BREAKING: Minneapolis police shot and killed a man tonight after pulling him over.
It’s the first time a Minneapolis police officer has killed someone since George Floyd’s death in May, and it happened less than a mile from where he was killed. https://t.co/nSqzThq4vT
— Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs (@NickAtNews) December 31, 2020
Details regarding the shooting remain scarce as officials urge for calm in the face of insurmountable anguish and grief, where community members are still reeling from Floyd’s death.
“We must all be committed to getting the facts, pursuing justice and keeping the peace,” Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement.
During a news conference, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo stated that the shooting took place around 6:15 p.m. near 36th Street and Cedar Avenue during a traffic stop. Arradondo announced that witnesses told police the man fired first, prompting officers to return fire. Footage from the shooting will be released on Thursday.
I was outside in south Minneapolis tonight when I heard a series of loud bangs (at least seven). It was followed quickly by the sound of sirens. Minneapolis police now confirming that a man was shot and killed after they say gunfire was exchanged with officers. pic.twitter.com/Jg02LZ8IFx
— Jon Collins (@JonSCollins) December 31, 2020
The driver’s identity and the officer’s identity are being withheld from the public. The man who was killed was driving with an unidentified woman who witnessed the shooting. Neither police nor the woman was physically harmed in the incident. Arradondo shared that the man was stopped because officers believed he committed a felony, but would not relay what specific violation occurred.
According to the Times, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will investigate the shooting and will provide more information after the conclusion of police and witness interviews.
After details of the shooting were made public, protesters began gathering at the scene demanding transparency and accountability.
Organizers are asking people to clear the intersection so they can begin a march. But there’s still a big fire raging in the intersection. pic.twitter.com/SP4gAN3yuJ
— Liz Sawyer (@ByLizSawyer) December 31, 2020
The Minneapolis Police have shot and killed another person, just about 12 blocks from where George Floyd was murdered.
My heart is with my city tonight, and with the woman who watched the person in the car with her die. https://t.co/YMuWa3HD1U
— ashley fairbanks (@ziibiing) December 31, 2020
While Wednesday’s shooting is the first police-involved fatality since the murder of George Floyd, it is not the first incident to take place in the vicinity where Floyd took his last breath. In early December a video went viral showing a white officer restraining a Black man by placing his knee in his back at the corner of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, also known as George Floyd Square.
The man was a bystander as police say they were responding to a carjacking in the area. He reportedly suffered a dislocated shoulder.
Floyd’s untimely death reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter movement following a string of notable deaths of Black community members at the hands of police. Wednesday’s incident will undoubtedly add to the exploration of the ways law enforcement shows up in Black communities.
SEE ALSO:
Minneapolis Officer Kneels On Back Of Black Man Steps Away From Where George Floyd Was Murdered
Civic Engagement-Focused Internship Program Launched In Honor Of George Floyd
[ione_media_gallery id=”3901951″ overlay=”true”]
