Before George Floyd’s Death, Minneapolis Police Failed to Adopt Reforms, Remove Bad Officers

Jamiles Lartey and Simone Weichselbaum, The Marshall Project
May 28, 2020

This article takes an in-depth look at the past incidences of police misconduct in Minneapolis and the city’s failed efforts at reform.

The Minneapolis Police Department failed to fully adopt changes recommended by federal officials to weed out bad cops, local critics said. At least two of the officers involved in Floyd’s fatal encounter, including the officer who knelt on his neck, had complaints filed against them in the past. At the same time, the department continued to use choke holds, allowing the controversial practice in some circumstances—even as an option for lethal force.

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