Minnesota US state: Policeman shoots African Americans

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Police protest: People take to the streets after Daunte Wright dies

Photo: KEREM YUCEL / AFP

In Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, a police officer shot and killed a 20-year-old African American in a traffic stop on Sunday.

The death of the 20-year-old sparked protests, the police used tear gas against demonstrators.

He died a few miles from Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed last May.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced via Twitter that he is closely monitoring the situation.

He prayed for the family of the deceased "while our state mourns another black man's life taken by law enforcement agencies."

The responsible district announced that the police had stopped a person in their car around 2 p.m. local time.

The reason is said to have been a traffic offense.

During the inspection it was found that there was an arrest warrant for the man.

The suspect tried to escape, got into his car and drove away.

A police officer then shot the car and hit the driver.

The car continued to roll and only came to a stop a few blocks later when it hit another car.

The man died on the spot.

The police initially did not say who the dead person was.

However, relatives identified the man as 20-year-old Daunte Wright.

Air freshener on the rearview mirror

Wright's mother, Katie Wright, told reporters at the scene that her son called her.

The police stopped him because air fresheners were dangling from his rearview mirror, which is illegal in Minnesota.

She could hear the police telling her son to get out of the vehicle, Wright said.

"I heard a scramble and I heard the police say: 'Down, don't run away!'"

The call was then ended.

When she called again, her son's friend told her Daunte was dead.

The police said the body cameras of both police officers recorded the incident.

The use is being investigated.

Protests broke out after Wright's death.

Hundreds of people took to the streets and stood in front of the Brooklyn Center police building.

Some protesters threw stones at police vehicles.

The police used rubber bullets and tear gas.

In May 2020, George Floyd was killed by a police officer just 10 miles away.

The police officer's trial recently started, also accompanied by protests against the police.

ptz / AP / Reuters