SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, April 11 marks the two-year anniversary of the murder of Daunte Wright by Brooklyn Center police. In response to the anniversary, the Senate People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus issued the following statement:
“The murder of Daunte Wright was a tragic loss for his family and for Brooklyn Center, and yet another disturbing example of the threat police violence poses to the BIPOC community. The members of the Senate POCI Caucus are committed to public safety, and recognize that includes measures to keep our citizens safe from violence at the hands of law enforcement. Since Daunte Wright’s death in 2021, police have killed another 19 Minnesotans, eight of them BIPOC residents. We will continue to demand a higher standard of service from our police forces and accountability when they perpetrate acts of violence. We cannot achieve true racial equity until no Minnesotan fears for their life during a routine traffic stop. We must bring an end to the extrajudicial execution of Minnesotans. Our laws and practices should honor their civil and human rights.”
“In the days after the murder of Daunte Wright, my POCI legislative colleagues and I stood side-by-side with protesters calling for justice,” said Senator Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis). “That meant a criminal prosecution of the officer who killed him. More broadly, it means taking meaningful steps to see that what happened to George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Philando Castile and so many other unarmed BIPOC victims does not continue. A peaceful, community-centered approach to public safety is a matter of racial justice.”
“Today we grieve Daunte Wright, a member of our community whose life was unjustly cut short by the police two years ago,” said Senator Susan Pha (DFL-Brooklyn Park). “Accountability and change must be a part of the community healing process. We carry Daunte’s memory with us every day as we work to stop the brutality our communities of color experience at the hands of police. As the state senator representing Brooklyn Center, I am determined to build a system of public safety that is transparent, accountable, and just for all people.”
The members of the Senate POCI Caucus are Senator Mary Kunesh (Chair), Senator Bobby Joe Champion, Senator Omar Fateh, Senator Foung Hawj, Senator Alice Mann, Senator Erin Maye Quade, Senator Zaynab Mohamed, Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten, Senator Susan Pha, and Senator Tou Xiong.
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