Department of Justice to investigate police practices in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death

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“The challenges we face are deeply woven into our history. They did not arise today or last year, building trust between the community and law enforcement will take time and effort on all of us,” said Garland. “But we are undertaking this task with determination and urgency, knowing that change cannot wait.”

The wide-ranging federal civil investigation will include a “comprehensive review” of the Minneapolis Police Department’s “policies, training, supervision and use of violence investigations,” he announced.

It will assess whether the Minneapolis Police Department “engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests,” whether it engages in “discriminatory behavior,” and whether “the treatment of people with behavioral disorders is illegal,” Garland . said.

The Justice Department announcement comes after the guilty verdicts against Chauvin for Floyd’s murder. In a video by bystanders, Chauvin was captured on the neck and back of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, for 9 minutes and 29 seconds on May 25, 2020.

Chauvin could face up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder, and up to 10 years for manslaughter. Three other officers – Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane – are expected to stand trial in August.

The new civil investigation is separate from an independent federal criminal investigation into Floyd’s death, which the attorney general says is still ongoing.

Garland acknowledged that police officers have “difficult jobs,” but added, “I strongly believe that good officers don’t want to work in systems that allow bad practices. Good officers welcome accountability.”

Calls for reform of the police

Floyd’s death sparked a year of protests and reckoning over the US police, with democratic and progressive calls to reform the system.

President Joe Biden called the verdict in the Chauvin trial Tuesday “a far too rare” step forward for black men, saying, “we can’t stop here.” The trial and other recent police shootings have increased pressure on the Biden administration and US lawmakers to push for policy changes. In the coming weeks, major Democratic and Republican lawmakers plan to engage in substantive discussions to see if a police overhaul deal can be reached by the time of Floyd’s death next month.
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In a speech last week, Garland had vowed to investigate the practices of police forces violating civil rights.

Garland said at the time that the Justice Department’s efforts would include the use of grants to help police departments across the country “improve their practices through funding and technical assistance, and to establish political policies. promote the benefit of communities and build trust ”.

The attorney general has also rescinded a Trump-era directive restricting the use of civil settlements with the police that have allegations of civil rights violations.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Jessica Schneider contributed to this report.

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