Last Updated on February 17, 2022
Despite the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of all counts, today Joe Biden-appointed Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that he has opened an investigation into the Minneapolis police to determine if they are systemically racist against black people as they protect and serve the community.
“Yesterday’s verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis,” Garland declared. “The Justice Department has opened a civil investigation to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing.”
“This effort will be staffed by experienced attorneys and other personnel from the Justice Department’s civil rights division, and the U.s. Attorneys Office in the District of Minnesota. The new civil investigation is separate,” from the criminal proceedings against Chauvin, Garland explained.
JUST IN: Attorney General Merrick Garland: "The Justice Department has opened a civil investigation to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing." https://t.co/Os1KFA0kQP pic.twitter.com/GWlccR1buE
— ABC News (@ABC) April 21, 2021
This also comes after protesters – who often became rioters in the months following Floyd’s death as he was arrested by Chauvin and other police officers – declared their actions a success. “The only reason… that we got this conviction,” said one protester, “is because we showed up to protest.” The protester then seemed to hint that the often violent protests and riots would continue until an action like Garland’s was taken.
“And if we don’t keep showing up, and if we don’t change laws, and if we don’t attack this system from every single f**king angle we can, we will be here again,” a protester added. As National File reported, “Other activists later confirmed after the verdict that they were ‘not satisfied’ with just the conviction of Chauvin. ‘His is one out of a thousand cases. This is the first step,’ one said. ‘Whatever you think about building a house, you don’t get satisfied when you’re making the pillars. You’ve got to finish all the house..We are never satisfied. We will be satisfied when black lives fully matter.'”
BLM MINNEAPOLIS: “WE ARE NOT SATISFIED” #DerekChauvinTrial pic.twitter.com/zN0PEPpMrz
— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) April 21, 2021
As National File reported, Garland, who was previously put forward as a Supreme Court nominee by President Barack Obama, has a critical view of the Second Amendment and has obsessed over curtailing gun rights for decades. During his confirmation, he revealed that he will not view violent Antifa riots as forms of terrorism because they generally attack government buildings at night, and that one of his top concerns as Attorney General will be to ensure that left wing media outlets receive “respectful treatment.”
