Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Wednesday that the Justice Department will investigate law enforcement in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd.
The announcement comes a day after a Hennepin County jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder for the murder of Floyd.
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“Yesterday’s ruling in the state criminal trial does not address potential systemic police problems in Minneapolis,” Garland said at a news conference.
Garland said the investigation will be a “full comprehensive evaluation” that will examine whether the Minneapolis Police Department has a “pattern or practice of unconstitutional or illegal policing.” He specified that this includes “the use of excessive force, including during protests”, as well as “discriminatory behavior and whether its treatment of people with behavioral disorders is illegal”.
The investigation will be conducted by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the US Attorney’s office for the District of Minnesota, and will examine the MPD’s policies, training, supervision, use of force tools, accountability systems, and more to determine whether “other mechanisms need to be put in place.,
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“I strongly believe that good officers don’t want to work in systems that allow bad practice,” said Garland. “Good officials welcome accountability because accountability is an essential part of building trust in the community and public safety requires public trust.”
Floyd’s death sparked a wave of protests, riots, and activism across the country over Chauvin’s behavior, in which he knelt on Floyd’s neck and pressed him to the ground for more than nine minutes.
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The police investigation isn’t the only federal investigation to emerge from the incident that killed Floyd. Following Tuesday’s reading of the verdict, Garland issued a statement sympathizing with Floyd’s family and reminding the country that a federal civil rights investigation is underway.
While the state prosecution was successful, I know that nothing can fill the void that George Floyd’s loved ones have felt since his death. The Justice Department previously announced a federal civil rights investigation into George Floyd’s death. This research is ongoing. ”
Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.