AGAIN, DR. ANTHONY FAUCI WILL
JOIN US IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
SIR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>> WE WANT TO TURN QUICKLY TO
THE LATEST OUT OF MINNESOTA
WHERE THE STREETS OF BROOKLYN
CENTER WERE FLOODED WITH
PROTESTERS AGAIN LAST NIGHT IN
THE WAKE OF THE POLICE SHOOTING
OF DAUNTE WRIGHT.
POLICE ORDERED PROTESTERS TO
DISBAND MORE THAN AN HOUR BEFORE
THE CURFEW BEGAN CALLING THE
GATHERING UNLAWFUL.
THAT LED TO FURTHER
CONFRONTATIONS AS PROTESTERS
THREW ROCKS AND LAUNCHED
FIREWORKS AT POLICE OFFICERS WHO
RESPONDED WITH GAS GRENADES AND
FLASHBANGS IN AN ATTEMPT TO
DISPERSE THE CROWD.
PROTESTERS EARLIER IN THE DAY
WERE PEACEFUL WITH ACTIVISTS
CALLING FOR REFORM AND JUSTICE.
THE CURFEW IN MINNEAPOLIS DOES
NOT LIFT UNTIL 6:00 A.M. CENTRAL
TIME THIS MORNING.
WHAT A DAY, WILLIE.
>>> MEANWHILE, THE MINNESOTA
POLICE OFFICER THAT SHOT AND
KILLED 20-YEAR-OLD DAUNTE WRIGHT
OVER THE WEEKEND HAS RESIGNED
FROM THE BROOKLYN CENTER POLICE
FORCE.
HER RESIGNATION LETTER READS,
QUOTE, I HAVE LOVED EVERY MINUTE
OF BEING A POLICE OFFICER AND
SERVING THIS COMMUNITY TO THE
BEST OF MY ABILITY.
BUT I BELIEVE IT IS IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY, THE
DEPARTMENT AND MY FELLOW
OFFICERS IF I RESIGN
IMMEDIATELY.
26-YEAR VETERAN OFFICER KIM
POTTER FATALLY SHOT WRIGHT
DURING A TRAFFIC STOP ON SUNDAY.
EARLIER THIS WEEK THE CITY’S
POLICE CHIEF SAID HE THOUGHT
POTTER MADE A MISTAKE BY
SHOOTING WRIGHT WHEN SHE MEANT
TO GRAB HER TASER INSTEAD.
THE MAYOR OF BROOKLYN CENTER
SAYS HE HOPES HER RESIGNATION
WILL HELP TO RELIEVE TENSIONS IN
THE CITY BUT DECLINED TO ANSWER
WHEN ASKED IF POTTER’S
RESIGNATION INSTEAD OF BEING
FIRED MEANT SHE COULD MOVE TO
ANOTHER POLICE FORCE OR TO
COLLECT A PENSION.
>> YOU KNOW, I’M HOPING THAT
THIS WILL HELP BRING SOME CALM
TO THE COMMUNITY, ALTHOUGH, YOU
KNOW, I THINK ULTIMATELY PEOPLE
WANT JUSTICE.
THEY WANT FULL ACCOUNTABILITY
UNDER THE LAW.
AND SO THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GOING
TO CONTINUE TO WORK FOR.
WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE
THAT JUSTICE IS SERVED.
JUSTICE IS DONE.
DAUNTE WRIGHT, YOU KNOW,
DESERVES THAT.
HIS FAMILY DESERVES THAT.
>> MAYOR ALSO ANNOUNCED POLICE
CHIEF TIM GANNON ALSO WOULD BE
RESIGNING.
SO, REV, LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW
THIS IS PLAYING OUT IN MINNESOTA
RIGHT NOW WITH WHAT WE’VE SEEN
FROM THE RESIGNATION OF THE
OFFICER, THE RESIGNATION OF THE
POLICE CHIEF, THE EXPLANATION
THAT STILL DEFIES BELIEF TO A
LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THE OFFICER
THOUGHT THAT HER GUN ACTUALLY
WAS THE TASER DESPITE ALL THE
TRAINING THAT SHE’S HAD.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS HEADED
FROM HERE?
AND WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE TO
EVERYONE IN MINNESOTA THIS
MORNING?
>> I’VE TALKED TO THE FATHER OF
DAUNTE WRIGHT.
AND I’VE TALKED TO HIS
GIRLFRIEND WHO WAS THERE.
>> YEAH.
>> AND CLEARLY EVERYONE IS
SAYING THAT IT IS HARD TO EVEN
IMAGINE A 26 YEAR VETERAN THAT
DOESN’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE IN
THE WEIGHT AND SIZE OF A GUN AND
A TASER.
AND THAT YOU HOLD ONE ON THE
PROMINENT SIDE OF YOUR BODY AND
THE OTHER ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.
SO THERE’S A LOT OF DISBELIEF
THERE.
WE WILL KNOW PROBABLY MAYBE AS
EARLY AS TODAY WHETHER OR NOT
THE PROSECUTOR IS GOING TO TRY
TO BRING CHARGES OF ANY KIND IN
THAT REGARD.
ATTORNEY BENJAMIN CRUMP, WHO IS
ONE OF THE TOEMPATTORNEYS FOR TH
FAMILY, FLEW INTO NEW YORK LAST
WEEK AND WILL RESPOND TO THAT
TODAY.
BUT I THINK THAT WHAT REALLY IS
UNDERSCORING HERE IS THAT AT THE
SAME TIME TEN MILES AWAY YOU
HAVE THE TRIAL OF THE OFFICER
THAT KILLED GEORGE FLOYD.
AT THE SAME TIME, YOU HAVE IN
KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, THE
POLICEMAN THAT SHOT -- THAT WAS
FILMED IN THE BACK THIS YOUNG
MAN IN KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, LAST
YEAR WAS RETURNED TO DUTY
YESTERDAY WITH NO DISCIPLINE.
ALL OF THIS COMPOUNDS A REAL
PROBLEM OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
IN THE COUNTRY.
SO WHAT WE’RE SEEING PLAYED OUT
IN THE STREETS IN MINNESOTA AND
BROOKLYN CENTER IS REALLY
REFLECTIVE OF PEOPLE AROUND THE
COUNTRY SAYING ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
WHEN ARE POLICE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
AT ANY LEVEL, WHETHER IT IS A
TASER THAT THEY SAY IS A MISTAKE
IN BROOKLYN TEMPLE, BROOKLYN
CENTER, OR WHETHER IT IS KNEE ON
YOUR NECK IN MINNEAPOLIS OR
WHETHER IT IS JACOB BLAKE IN
KENOSHA AND WHETHER IT’S BREONNA
TAYLOR LOUISVILLE, ALL WITHIN
THE LAST SIX MONTHS DURING A
PANDEMIC.
AT WHAT POINT DO WE STOP?
THAT’S WHAT THE CHALLENGE I
THINK IS IN FRONT OF THE
GOVERNMENT AND I THINK THAT’S
WHAT’S BEING REFLECTED BY MANY
OF US AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THE
BLACK COMMUNITY.
>> YOU MENTIONED GEORGE FLOYD
AND THE TRIAL OF OFFICER
CHAUVIN, THE DEFENSE HAS NOW
PICKED UP AND STARTED ITS CASE.
THE PROSECUTION PUT WITNESS
AFTER WITNESS AFTER WITNESS IN
FRONT OF THE JURY WHO SAID,
INCLUDING BY THE WAY OFFICER
CHAUVIN’S OWN SUPERVISORS, HIS
POLICE CHIEF SAID IT WAS A
VIOLATION OF POLICY.
THAT’S NOT WHAT WE TEACH IN OUR
USE OF FORCE.
DOCTORS, CARDIOLOGISTS SAYING HE
DIED BECAUSE HE DIDN’T HAVE
OXYGEN TO HIS BRAIN.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION OF HOW
THIS MAY PLAY OUT?
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
HOLDING THEIR BREATH RIGHT NOW
SAYING, YES, THE PROSECUTION PUT
OUT A GOOD CASE, BUT WE’VE SEEN
THIS MOVIE BEFORE.
>> WE HAVE.
AND I AM CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.
YOU KNOW, I TALK WITH THE FAMILY
EVERYDAY.
I’VE GONE OUT TWO OR THREE
TIMES.
I’LL BE GOING OUT RIGHT AFTER
THE CONVENTION AND I SAID TO
THEM, I BELIEVE THE CASE IS
STRONG, BUT I’VE SEEN STRONG
CASES BEFORE.
AND ALL I CAN DO IS HOPE AND
PRAY NOT FOR A VICTORY BUT FOR
THE COUNTRY TO SHOW THAT WE HAVE
THE CAPACITY OF HOLDING PEOPLE
ACCOUNTABLE.
IF YOU HAVE A MAN -- I THINK THE
THING THAT WE HAVE NOT LOOKED
AT, WILLY, IS THAT IF YOU HAD A
MAN THAT GAVE A $20 BILL THAT
WAS COUNTERFEIT, THAT OBVIOUSLY
THE PERSON THAT HE GAVE IT TO IN
THE STORE SAID I DON’T KNOW IF
HE KNEW IT WAS COUNTERFEIT, HE
WENT AND SAT IN THE CAR IN THE
FRONT OF THE STORE WITH ENOUGH
TIME WHERE THE POLICE WERE
CALLED AND CAME.
SO, HE WASN’T RUNNING FROM
ANYTHING.
BUT EVEN IF HE KNEW IT WAS
COUNTERFEIT, YOU WOULD HAVE
WALKED UP TO HIM AND SAID DID
YOU KNOW THIS WAS COUNTERFEIT.
DO YOU HAVE GOOD MONEY TO PAY
FOR THE PACK OF CIGARETTES?
YOU WOULDN’T ARREST HIM, LESS
HANDCUFF HIM AND DRAG HIM TO THE
GROUND?
SO THE WHOLE OVERREACTION LEADS
THERE WAS INTENT TO DO HARM