SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — On Sunday, police fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center. The Minnesota People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus released the following statement:
“Once again, a young Black man who was beloved by his family and community was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop. This painful statement could be recited by memory at this point. However, while this tragedy is distressingly familiar, we must remember that Daunte Wright was a unique human being, brimming with life and potential until it was cut short in a senseless act of violence. Daunte Wright’s life mattered.
This perpetual trauma wrought upon our Black communities is exhausting. To our community; please take time to rest and recover if you are able, these coming days will be incredibly difficult. We will need our energy and health to seek justice and maintain peace in our communities. At the Legislature we have several police accountability bills that are ready to be voted on and sent to the Governor, including the House DFL Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform budget bill which contains several critical reforms. We strongly urge our Republican colleagues to join us in creating a public safety system that will protect the lives of people like Daunte Wright.
Black Lives Matter.”
The People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) Caucus includes Reps. Esther Agbaje (59B), Jamie Becker-Finn (42B), Cedrick Frazier (45A), Aisha Gomez (62B), Hodan Hassan (Vice- Chair 62A), Kaohly Her (64A), Athena Hollins (66B), Heather Keeler (04A), Fue Lee (59A), Carlos Mariani (65B), Rena Moran (65A), Mohamud Noor (60B), Ruth Richardson (52B), John Thompson (67A), Samantha Vang (Chair, 40B), Jay Xiong (67B), Tou Xiong (53B), and Senators Bobby Joe Champion (59), Omar Fateh (62), Melisa Franzen (49), Foung Hawj (67), Mary Kunesh (41), Patricia Torres Ray (Chair, 63)