DOJ Report: The Minneapolis Police Used Excessive Force, Targeted Minorities Prior to Floyd Incident

With support for BLM at an all-time low, more Americans identifying as conservatives than leftists, and the septic tank that is the Biden family threatening to bubble over, Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice decided that Friday morning was the best time to release the results of an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.

From the Executive Summary:

On April 21, 2021, the Department of  Justice opened a pattern or practice investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the City of Minneapolis. By then, Derek Chauvin had been convicted in state court for the tragic murder of George Floyd in 2020. In the years before, shootings by other MPD officers had generated public outcry, culminating in weeks of civil unrest after George Floyd was killed.

Our federal investigation focused on the police department as a whole, not the acts of any one officer. To be sure, many MPD officers do their difficult work with professionalism, courage, and respect. Nevertheless, our investigation found that the systemic problems in MPD made what happened to George Floyd possible. 

FINDINGS

The Department of  Justice has reasonable cause to believe that the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law:

• MPD uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and other types of force.
• MPD unlawfully discriminates against Black and Native American people in its enforcement activities.
• MPD violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech.
• MPD and the City discriminate against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance.

The 92-page report also said that the MPD had “deficiencies” in accountability, training, supervision, and officer wellness programs that are contributing factors to the problem. It also accused MPD officers of using “dangerous techniques and weapons” against people who had committed petty offenses or no offenses and punished people who angered or criticized officers. It also alleges that officers patrolled neighborhoods based on racial composition and engaged in racial discrimination during encounters with the public. 

The Daily Mail reports that Garland made a statement on Friday in which he tore into the Minneapolis Police Department for “repeatedly using excessive force, discriminating against black people and mistreating mentally ill individuals.” He also accused the police of violating the First Amendment rights of protestors and journalists, which, considering Garland’s track record, is rather unusual unless you take into consideration the fact that Garland uses similar criteria for the people his agency persecutes. He just swaps out political parties.

None of this is new. These have all been standard talking points of the Left since the Summer of Floyd and, for that matter, even before then. Absolutely no one is surprised by this announcement; what matters is the timing. Garland and Co. know that given the national attitude at the moment, they needed to stoke the fires of racial animus to move the conversation back to the ground that is comfortable to them.

This is about creating a distraction. This is about Garland and the White House saying, “You guys! Don’t look over here! White people are racist! Remember when you burned everything down because of Republicans? Yeah, that was great, wasn’t it?” Garland is shouting into his echo chamber, which will gladly amplify the message.