At a special meeting of the City Council of Brooklyn Center, the council passed a resolution that creates a framework for advancing a series of reforms in policing and public safety in the city.
The vote was 4-1.
Parents of Daunte Wright, Katie Wright (left) and Aubrey Wright spoke out in favor of a resolution inspired by the killing of their son that would transform policing in Brooklyn Center.
“Brooklyn Center did not look to be in the national spotlight on these issues, but here we are,” said Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott. “And given the tragic incidents that occurred here, including those taking the lives of Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler, we must respond with a commitment to do better, and today’s vote is part of that response.”
The vote was in response to the Brooklyn Center police killing of unarmed 20-year-old Wright, killed during a low-level traffic stop for expired license plate tags and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror.
The resolution calls for the establishment of an implementation committee charged to begin assembling formal, specific recommended changes in numerous aspects of community policing, traffic stops and mental health service delivery.
“If this bill was passed Prior to April 11 our son would still be alive,” said Katie Wright, the mother of Daunte Wright. “If it was passed years ago Kobe would still be alive.”
Dimock-Heisler, 21, was killed Aug. 31, 2019 by Brooklyn Center police responding to Dimock-Heisler being in mental crisis. The 21-year-old was autistic. His fatal encounter resulted in him being shot six times – once in the head. Officers said Dimock-Heisler was reaching for a knife when he was shot. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman declined to file charges in the shooting.
Amity Dimock, mother of Dimock-Heisler agreed that the resolution was too late to save her son, but could help prevent future such tragedies.
“After 12 minutes of complying with officers he (Dimock-Heiser) got up and ran because he didn’t want to be in the situation and when he did he was tasered and shot six times including once in the head,” said Dimock. “If this (resolution) was passed years before, Daunte Wright would be alive and Kobe would be alive today.”
Dimock-Heisler’s father, Jason Heisler, pointed to startling statistics involving victims in police-involved shootings.
“One of every 13 people shot is shot by a police officer,” said Heisler. “One of three stranger killings … 33 percent is by a police officer. This resolution is saying that the system is broken and we’re in agreement to fix it.”
He also spoke of the fact that police killings of civilians are disproportionately affecting Black people.
“We’re debating whether our police system is broken and we’re sitting here on Sherriff (Earle) Brown’s land and he held KKK meetings here, so that alone lets you know that this system is broken,” said Heisler, who is white and whose son was multiethnic.
The historic May 15 meeting in Brooklyn Center took place in the Earle Brown Center. Brown, the former Hennepin County sheriff, is reported to have had strong ties with the Ku Klux Klan.
“This (resolution) isn’t going to bring Kobe back … not going to bring Daunte back, but hopefully we will go miles ahead. We’re taking a bold step here, but we can do it. We’re going to do it,” said Elliott.
The lone no vote was cast by Councilmember Kris Lawrence-Anderson, who cast her vote remotely from Oklahoma, where she and her family were vacationing.
Article sourced from North News.
Historic Resolution Passed in Brooklyn Center
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