U.S. Justice Department blames Minneapolis police acting with racial bias

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota – The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted the Minneapolis Police Department for racial discrimination.

After a two-year investigation, the Justice Department found its officers using excessive force and batons. The investigation into the conduct of Minneapolis Police Department was triggered by the 2020 murder of George Floyd.

He was killed by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes until he suffocated.

Minneapolis is a major metropolis in the state of Minnesota.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Minneapolis police use firearms inappropriately. He said firearms were used without determining whether the person posed a threat.

Garland said such behavior is deeply troubling and undermines public confidence in law enforcement.

Chauvin and three other officers — Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and Alexander Kueng — are serving prison sentences.

The investigation also shows officers routinely disregard the safety of those in their custody.

They were found to be using potentially lethal neck restraints, which have since been banned.

According to the report, senior officers do not intervene to prevent junior colleagues from using inappropriate force.

Following the report, the city has agreed to federal oversight to reform the police department.

The Justice Department is negotiating similar measures in other cities, including Ferguson, Missouri, Maryland, and Cleveland.

President Joe Biden said the findings were troubling and underscored the urgent need for Congress to pass reforms to combat racial discrimination.

He called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would strengthen police accountability.

The bill was passed by the House in 2021.

But was kept on hold in the then-Republican-controlled Senate.