CROSS-EXAMINATION, I DON’T SEE
THE BENEFIT OF HAVING HIM
TESTIFY.
>> MARY, SHAQ, MORGAN, THANK
YOU.
>>> NOW I WOULD LIKE TO BRING IN
THE MAYOR OF ST. PAUL,
MINNESOTA, MELVIN CARTER.
MAYOR, I WANT TO FIRST GET YOUR
REACTION TO THE CHARGES AGAINST
OFFICER KIM POTTER, SECOND
DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER.
>> WELL, GOOD MORNING, AND THANK
YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.
OBVIOUSLY A SECOND DEGREE
MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE ISN’T AS
SATISFYING AS SOMETHING HEAVIER. DAUNTE WRIGHT IS GONE FOREVER
DAUNTE WRIGHT IS GONE FOREVER AND THERE’S NO INCREDIBLE EVEN
AND THERE’S NO INCREDIBLE EVEN
PRETENDING THERE’S A REASON WHY.
EVEN IF WE ASSESS SHE MEANT TO
TASE HIM, WE HAVE TO ASK, IS
SHOOTING SOMEBODY WITH 50,000
VOTES OF ELECTRICITY A
REASONABLE EXPECTATION OVER A
TRAFFIC STOP OVER LICENSE
PLATES?
SO WITH THE DELIBERATE ACTIONS,
A MORE WEIGHTY CHARGE WOULD BE
MORE SATISFYING.
BUT THIS IS UP FOR A JR.URY TO
DECIDE AND WE KNOW HOW DIFFICULT
IT IS TO HOLD A OFFICER FOR
TAKING A BLACK LIFE.
SO THEY WILL GO FOR A
PROSECUTION THEY COULD MAKE
STICK OVER AN ACQUITTAL FOR A
WEIGHTY CHARGE THAT ENDS UP
BEING THROAT
BEING THROWN OUT.
>> ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING
AROUND YOUR CITY.
TENSIONS COULDN’T BE HIGHER.
I KNOW YOU PUT A CURFEW IN
PLACE.
WHAT ELSE ARE YOU DOING TO KEEP
YOUR COMMUNITY SAFE?
>> WE PUT A CURFEW IN PLACE THE
FIRST COUPLE NIGHTS BECAUSE WE
SEE PEOPLE, FRANKLY, NOT FOR THE
PROTESTERS BUT NUMBER OF PEOPLE
HERE PROTESTING MAKING POWERFUL
AND BEAUTIFUL STATEMENTS
PEACEFULLY PROTESTING TO SAY
THERE’S NO ACCEPTABLE REASON
DAWN
DAUNTE WRIGHT SHOULD BE DEAD.
OUR COMMUNITY IS CONTINUING TO
PROCESS THE TRAUMA OF GEORGE
FLOYD’S MURDER, OF THE TRIALS
WE’RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW
AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO NEED HEALING SPACES TO
PROCESS TOGETHER, TO GATHER
TOGETHER AND TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK
UP AND EXERCISE THEIR FIRST
AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
SO OUR FIRST GOAL IS MAKE SURE
WE’RE PROTECTING PEOPLE’S RIGHTS
TO PEACEFULLY PROTEST.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE ALSO HAVE
PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TO EXPLOIT
THAT SITUATION.
IN ST. PAUL LAST YEAR, WE SAW
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE
THAT UPROOTED BLACK-OWNED
BARBERSHOPS AND NEIGHBORHOOD
COFFEE SHOPS AND NEIGHBORHOOD
GROCERY STORES.
THE PLACES WHERE OUR SENIOR
CITIZENS RELY ON FOR THEIR
MEDICATION.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT IS A ROAD WE
CANNOT EVER GO DOWN AGAIN.
OUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT THE VALUE
OF LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS BY
ENSURING THAT NO ONE, OFFICER OR
NOT, IS ABLE TO INFLICT
UNREASONABLE VIOLENCE AND
ESCALATION ON OUR COMMUNITY
MEMBERS.
>> HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT?
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
THERE’S STILL SO MUCH ANGER
PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, WHAT DOES
REAL LASTING CHANGE LOOK LIKE IN
YOUR CITY AND STATE?
>> I THINK REAL LASTING CHANGE
HAS TO HAPPEN IN OUR CITY AND
STATE.
IT ALSO HAS TO HAPPEN
NATIONWIDE.
THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING
THAT’S BIGGER.
WE ARE SEEING ANGER AND WE
SHOULD EXPECT ANGER.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO, WHEN
YOU LOOK AT ANY OF THESE VIDEOS,
THE ONLY HUMAN RESPONSE IS TO BE
ANGRY, IS TO BE TRAUMATIZED, IS
TO BE GRIEF STRICKEN.
OUR GOAL IS TO INVITE PEOPLE WHO
ARE RESOLVED TO CREATE A BETTER
WORLD.
OUR GOAL IS INVITE THOSE PEOPLE
FULL OF ENERGY THAT THEY HAVE TO
GET OUT SOMEWHERE AND INVITE
THEM INTO A PROCESS AT CITY
HALL, INVITE THEM INTO A PROCESS
AT THE STATE CAPITOL, THE TYPE
OF THINGS WE’VE BEEN SHOUTING
ABOUT FOR YEARS.
WE HAVE TO END QUALIFIED
IMMUNITY SO WE KNOW WE CAN HOLD
OUR OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR
ACTIONS THAT FALL SO BELOW OUR
LEVELS OF EXPECTATIONS.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH OUR
POLICE DEPARTMENTS SO OUR
OFFICERS KNOW OUR COMMUNITIES,
THAT WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER
SOMEBODY LIKE DAUNTE WRIGHT ON
THE STREETS THEY’RE NOT SCARED
OF HIM BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS OR
WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE BUT THEY’RE
PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL
AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE
AGGRESSIVELY AND PROACTIVELY
SUPPORTING THAT RELATIONSHIP,
THAT CRITICAL RELATIONSHIP, THAT
HAS TO FLOW BETWEEN OUR OFFICERS
AND OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT’S THE ONLY WAY IT WORKS.
HERE IN ST. PAUL WE ADVANCED
WHAT WE CALL COMMUNITY FIRST
PUBLIC SAFETY FRAMEWORK THAT
SAYS WE WANT THE OFFICERS TO
HAVE THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES
THEY NEED TO SPONTD TO OUR MOST
CRITICAL EMERGENCIES.
WE WANT SOCIAL WORKERS AND
HOUSING PROVIDERS AND THOSE
OTHER TYPE OF RESOURCES
AVAILABLE TO RESPOND WHEN
SOMEONE CALLS 911 BECAUSE OF AN
ISSUE OF CRISIS OR NEIGHBORHOOD
CONCERN.
WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE PROACTIVE
INVESTMENTS IN OUR NEIGHBORS AND
NEIGHBORHOODS SO WE CAN BUILD A
PUBLIC SAFETY SYSTEM THAT STARTS