​​DOJ Report: Minneapolis Police Engage in ‘Discriminatory Practices’

A Department of Justice report on the Minneapolis Police Department alleges the department routinely violates the civil and first amendment rights of Minneapolis residents. 

For Context: A federal investigation into the department was launched after the death of George Floyd in 2020. Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a MPD officer, knelt on his neck for over nine minutes. The incident sparked nationwide protests in the summer of 2020. Chauvin was later found guilty of murder. 

Details: The full report states that MPD officers patrol neighborhoods “differently based on their racial composition and discriminated based on race when searching, handcuffing, or using force against people during stops.” The investigation pulled on evidence from “thousands of documents, incident files, body-worn camera videos, and the City and MPD’s data. Our findings are also based on ride-alongs and conversations with MPD officers, City employees, mental health providers, and community members.”

How The Media Covered It: Coverage from The Daily Wire (Right bias) includes misinformation. The article centers around the death of Justine Ruszczyk, who was killed in 2017 by Mohamed Noor, a police officer in Minneapolis. The Daily Wire article claims the DOJ report focuses heavily on racial discrimination, but cites this incident involving a white victim and a black cop “without mentioning their races.” This is not entirely accurate— the report does identify Ruszczyk as a “white woman” on page 5, but does in fact make no mention of Noor or his race.