Community Leaders Demand Consequences for Police in Viral Video

Racial Reckoning: The Arc of Justice

Minneapolis community leaders are demanding the firing of an officer caught on camera using what they say was excessive force.

“We demand an immediate termination of the officer involved. He gotta go. He gotta go. He gotta go,” chanted Elizer Darris of ACLU Minnesota.

A 4-minute video recorded Wednesday that’s now gone viral shows a man being slammed to the ground and punched several times. During a press conference Thursday, the Minneapolis Police Chief explained what he believes led up to the incident.

“A violent felony carjacking occurred in the city of New Hope, eventually that vehicle was picked up by Robbinsdale Police department. It made its way into Minneapolis”

Community leaders held their own press conference in front of the 4th precinct in North Minneapolis where they shared concerns about the State of the Minneapolis police department. They say it’s in the same condition it was when George Floyd died under Derek Chauvin's knee. Among those present was the young man who recorded the video. He said this is not the first time he’s witnessed police brutality.

“If we already hurting, why still hurt us?” he asked.

According to Mayor Frey the incident is being investigated by internal affairs.

Georgia Fort reporting for the Racial Reckoning project.