Dozens arrested in third night of protest

[Stevicus]

Dozens arrested in 3rd night of protest over Daunte Wright's death - UPI.com

April 14 (UPI) -- Dozens of people were arrested as police and protesters clashed for a third straight night in Brooklyn Center, Minn., following the fatal police-involved shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop over the weekend.

Authorities said the protest began peacefully Tuesday afternoon near the vigil for Wright, who was shot to death Sunday by officer Kimberly Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force.

As night fell, the situation devolved, police said.

Some 1,000 people congregated outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department headquarters, the focal point of the previous two nights of protests, and began shaking the metal fence that separated them from officers in riot gear and National Guard members, the Star Tribune reported.

The third night of protests followed the resignation of Potter and Police Chief Tim Gannon over the Sunday shooting.

Gannon had said Monday that he believed Potter accidentally shot Wright with her service weapon when she had intended to discharge her Taser.

Police pulled Wright over and discovered he was wanted on a misdemeanor warrant. As he attempted to flee the arresting officer, he was shot and soon after died.

In footage from her body-worn camera taken during the incident, Potter can be heard repeatedly saying "Taser" before letting off a single bullet and then cursing afterward.

"I shot him," she is heard yelling.

Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot said Tuesday he has asked Gov. Tim Walz to reassign Wright's case to the office of the attorney general "to ensure transparency and to continue building trust in our community."

The shooting occurred during a tense time in Minneapolis, as the murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin in the city nears its end.

Chauvin has been charged with murder over killing George Floyd, whose Memorial Day death sparked protests against racial inequality worldwide.

As I understand it, the reason for the traffic stop was an expired license plate. Whenever the police stop people on piddly violations like this under the pretext of "law enforcement," I have to wonder: Is it really worth it?

I can accept the possibility that the shooting was an accident and that the police officer may not have intended to kill this person. But the fact that they pulled him over in the first place and the BS reasons for doing so - that was no accident. This is what should be addressed.

Should police officers be banned from making frivolous traffic stops like this? Unless they can show a clear and present danger (excessive speed, swerving, reckless driving, etc.), they really shouldn't be stopping anybody. Besides, the police departments don't have the resources to just let officers idly patrol the streets looking for random people to pull over. How many murders have gone unsolved? How many burglaries or auto thefts which they haven't made an arrest or returned property to their rightful owners? If they haven't solved all the crimes still on the books, then they have no business wasting police resources on piddly little traffic stops like this.

 

[Revoltingest]

As I understand it, the reason for the traffic stop was an expired license plate. Whenever the police stop people on piddly violations like this under the pretext of "law enforcement," I have to wonder: Is it really worth it?

Expired plates (if that's the reason) doesn't strike me as trivial
or a "pretext". I certainly wouldn't spend money to renew plates
if I knew I'd never be stopped for it.

 

[Twilight Hue]

It's just an excuse to loot stores under guise of protest.

Either way this generation is a violent bunch for sure.

 

[Revoltingest]

It's just an excuse to loot stores under guise of protest.

Either way this generation is a violent bunch for sure.

Every generation has its violent elements.
This is violence fueled by media bent on heightening racial tensions.

 

[SigurdReginson]

It's just an excuse to loot stores under guise of protest.

Either way this generation is a violent bunch for sure.

This generation? Remember the L.A. Riots? There've been many more violent riots before that, too. This isn't a generational thing, imo - goes a little bit deeper than that.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Expired plates (if that's the reason) doesn't strike me as trivial
or a "pretext". I certainly wouldn't spend money to renew plates
if I knew I'd never be stopped for it.

I think enforcement by mail would be appropriate that's what they do with my medical certification.

It's not on file they warn of downgrade.

 

[Revoltingest]

I think enforcement by mail would be appropriate that's what they do with my medical certification.

It's not on file they warn of downgrade.

That would work too.

 

[SigurdReginson]

I think enforcement by mail would be appropriate that's what they do with my medical certification.

It's not on file they warn of downgrade.

That's a really good point. Getting a ticket via the mail would be just as effective as pulling someone over without all the potential violence.

Where I live, if people run a red light a camera takes a picture and you get sent a ticket in the mail. Not sure why a cop couldn't just take a picture of a plate and send a ticket in the mail that way.

Edit: At least, in the case of expired tabs.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Every generation has its violent elements.
This is violence fueled by media bent on heightening racial tensions.

If they make people accountable for incitement, why not media?

Granted it's touchy and a tad more complicated involving the rights of a free press.

 

[Twilight Hue]

That's a really good point. Getting a ticket via the mail would be just as effective as pulling someone over without all the potential violence.

Where I live, if people run a red light a camera takes a picture and you get sent a ticket in the mail. Not sure why a cop couldn't just take a picture of a plate and send a ticket in the mail that way.

Edit: At least, in the case of expired tabs.

Now that would be a revenue generator. Its pretty orwellian as well.

Ez pass with teeth.

 

[Stevicus]

Expired plates (if that's the reason) doesn't strike me as trivial
or a "pretext". I certainly wouldn't spend money to renew plates
if I knew I'd never be stopped for it.

Well, they could always just take a picture of it and send the vehicle owner a bill. It doesn't create a clear and present danger, so there's no urgent reason to stop somebody.

 

[SigurdReginson]

Now that would be a revenue generator. Its pretty orwellian as well.

Ez pass with teeth.

The intersections where there are cameras were very dangerous accident magnets... While it is definitely a revenue generator, it's also seemed to have miraculously stopped the accidents that happened at those intersections. Amazing how that works when people's wallets are on the line.

 

[Stevicus]

It's just an excuse to loot stores under guise of protest.

Either way this generation is a violent bunch for sure.

Possibly. In no way am I condoning what the rioters are doing, but these things can be easily avoided if the police would rein themselves in a bit and not get so overzealous about miniscule "violations."

It has nothing to with public safety or even much to do with "law enforcement." It's simply a way to issue citations and collect fines solely for the sake of revenue enhancement. (This was mentioned as a contributing factor to the Ferguson riots.) Much of the public knows this already; they can see through the façade.

 

[Valjean]

Define "trivial."

Judgement must be used about when, where and for what a traffic stop is made.
Police should not feel compelled to assert "control" over every transaction, or to continue an interaction when it begins to go South.

 

[Revoltingest]

Well, they could always just take a picture of it and send the vehicle owner a bill. It doesn't create a clear and present danger, so there's no urgent reason to stop somebody.

That might be the direction that things head.
Stopping black guys for any reason is dangerous.

Note:
This isn't cuz they themselves pose a danger.
But if anything goes south, the country burns.

 

[Stevicus]

The intersections where there are cameras were very dangerous accident magnets... While it is definitely a revenue generator, it's also seemed to have miraculously stopped the accidents that happened at those intersections. Amazing how that works when people's wallets are on the line.

Of course, you'd think that the risk of accidents and a sense of self-preservation would also govern people's actions and cause them to restrain their behavior on the roads.

We had speed cameras and traffic light cameras around here, but they took them out. The first mistake they made was to farm it out some private sector outfit, which collected a share of the revenues, opening the door to corruption. Another issue was that police vehicles were also getting caught speeding and going through red lights. Some people were also caught destroying the cameras in various incidents. Then there were those who would wear masks so that the cameras couldn't determine who was driving. There was a guy who wore a gorilla mask while driving to thwart the traffic cameras. They had been looking for him for quite some time, but then they finally caught him.

 

[Revoltingest]

The first mistake they made was to farm it out some private sector outfit, which collected a share of the revenues, opening the door to corruption.

Because corrupt public officials didn't want to share the booty.

 

[Stevicus]

Define "trivial."

I suppose any situation where there's no injury, no damage, no clear and present danger, and the alleged violation is insignificant, innocuous, and/or minimal.

Judgement must be used about when, where and for what a traffic stop is made.
Police should not feel compelled to assert "control" over every transaction, or to continue an interaction when it begins to go South.

That's part of the problem. Police officers seem to be laboring under the delusion that if they let anything go or otherwise don't come down hard on any and all picayune violators, it will lead to anarchy.

 

[Suave]

I'd like robotic traffic enforcers to identify traffic violaters to whom unarmed robocops would issue traffic citations. Imo, there should be no interaction between systemically racist white privileged human police officers and traffic violaters.

 

[Stevicus]

Because corrupt public officials didn't want to share the booty.

Just the opposite. The corrupt public officials have friends in the private sector.