Justice Dept. Announces Broad Investigation of Minneapolis Police

[SummerMadness]

Attorney General Merrick Garland announces an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.

The Justice Department will investigate the policies and operations of the Minneapolis Police Department, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced on Wednesday, a day after the former officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd in a rare rebuke of police violence.

"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," Mr. Garland said in brief remarks at the Justice Department.

Such investigations are often the precursors to court-approved deals between the Justice Department and local governments that create and enforce a road map for training and operational changes.

Mr. Garland’s announcement came a day after the conviction of Mr. Chauvin, who was fired by the Minneapolis Police Department last year after gruesome video of him kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes sparked protests across the nation.

The inquiry into the department is separate from the existing Justice Department investigation into whether Mr. Chauvin violated Mr. Floyd’s civil rights. It will be led by lawyers and staff in the Justice Department’s civil rights division and the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota.

 

[tz620q]

Attorney General Merrick Garland announces an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.

Shift left, rinse, and repeat. CNN has covered the Derek Chauvin trial exclusively during almost every hour it was going on as though there were no more pressing news than a second degree murder charge against a police officer. I recognize that this is news and should be reported; but their coverage was way over the top. The guilty verdicts did not lead to any juicy riots and the protests will die down when people lose interest in this case. So how do you stretch the event out, enter a DOJ probe, which I consider to be justified, but should be kept just as under wraps as the Brian Sicknick autopsy was. Instead, I bet CNN will have wall to wall coverage of every attention seeking DOJ leaker or if they can't get that, just go out and find an "expert" to give you the story through pure opinion. All of this is, of course, just political hay making to try to get the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act through. I am beginning to think 24 hour news channels are a bad idea as they fill their time with more op-eds than actual journalism. I count Fox News in with this bunch, just slanted in the opposite direction. Anyway, that is my prediction. We will see in the coming weeks how this plays out.

 

[wing2000]

Shift left, rinse, and repeat. CNN has covered the Derek Chauvin trial exclusively during almost every hour it was going on as though there were no more pressing news than a second degree murder charge against a police officer. I recognize that this is news and should be reported; but their coverage was way over the top. The guilty verdicts did not lead to any juicy riots and the protests will die down when people lose interest in this case. So how do you stretch the event out, enter a DOJ probe, which I consider to be justified, but should be kept just as under wraps as the Brian Sicknick autopsy was. Instead, I bet CNN will have wall to wall coverage of every attention seeking DOJ leaker or if they can't get that, just go out and find an "expert" to give you the story through pure opinion. All of this is, of course, just political hay making to try to get the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act through. I am beginning to think 24 hour news channels are a bad idea as they fill their time with more op-eds than actual journalism. I count Fox News in with this bunch, just slanted in the opposite direction. Anyway, that is my prediction. We will see in the coming weeks how this plays out.

I have a suggestion: Don't watch CNN. CSPAN is your friend

 

[SummerMadness]

Shift left, rinse, and repeat. CNN has covered the Derek Chauvin trial exclusively during almost every hour it was going on as though there were no more pressing news than a second degree murder charge against a police officer. I recognize that this is news and should be reported; but their coverage was way over the top. The guilty verdicts did not lead to any juicy riots and the protests will die down when people lose interest in this case. So how do you stretch the event out, enter a DOJ probe, which I consider to be justified, but should be kept just as under wraps as the Brian Sicknick autopsy was. Instead, I bet CNN will have wall to wall coverage of every attention seeking DOJ leaker or if they can't get that, just go out and find an "expert" to give you the story through pure opinion. All of this is, of course, just political hay making to try to get the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act through. I am beginning to think 24 hour news channels are a bad idea as they fill their time with more op-eds than actual journalism. I count Fox News in with this bunch, just slanted in the opposite direction. Anyway, that is my prediction. We will see in the coming weeks how this plays out.

The DOJ has done this before, this has nothing to do with complaining about the media. The difference now is that the DOJ of the previous administration ignored police misconduct and police violence.

 

[civilwarbuff]

The difference now is that the DOJ of the previous administration ignored police misconduct and police violence.

Evidence of that?.....or just opinion?

 

[civilwarbuff]

Attorney General Merrick Garland announces an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.

Political pandering to the left.......nothing more......

 

[Pommer]

Political pandering to the left.......nothing more......

Law & order is everybody’s concern.

 

[civilwarbuff]

Law & order is everybody’s concern.

It is but not political pandering......

 

[Pommer]

It is but not political pandering......

A Minneapolis police officer was just convicted of murdering Mr Floyd, maybe this investigation is to try to make sure that this tragedy doesn’t occur again in the good city?
“Pandering”.

Do better.

 

[disciple Clint]

The DOJ has done this before, this has nothing to do with complaining about the media. The difference now is that the DOJ of the previous administration ignored police misconduct and police violence.

because the previous administration was not trying to continue a false narrative that this nation suffers from systemic racism. Didn't take long for it become even more obvious that we are dealing with Obama III.

 

[SummerMadness]

because the previous administration was not trying to continue a false narrative that this nation suffers from systemic racism. Didn't take long for it become even more obvious that we are dealing with Obama III.

Your post suggests you have not read any of the DOJ reports about police departments in the country.

 

[SummerMadness]

I think the people that attack police reform are anti-police. Most police officers support reform as it allows them to do a better job and creates more trust in the community. When a police officer is threatened with other officers not providing backup because he reported misconduct, those who think that is okay are clearly anti-police.

Racism in policing has been the standard for decades, so I am curious, when exactly did racism stop in police departments? Was there a mass firing of police officers at some point to remove those problematic officers and departments at some point in time? Where is the "no more racism" inflection point?

 

[tz620q]

I have a suggestion: Don't watch CNN. CSPAN is your friend

I think your smiley face was meant to show an honest attempt at a solution, so I didn't take it as a joke. You are right. CSPAN offers the least commentary on the events; but does not cover much outside of Congressional proceedings. The issue I see right now is how to get unbiased news coverage. I have a neighbor that writes a column for the local paper and has been in journalism for nearly 50 years. We lament that local news is typically rather evenly presented; but there has been a loss of journalistic integrity at the national level. By the way, I love CSPAN2 during the weekend when they do BookTV interviews with authors.

 

[tz620q]

The DOJ has done this before, this has nothing to do with complaining about the media. The difference now is that the DOJ of the previous administration ignored police misconduct and police violence.

The DOJ, other than the head man, does not change much from administration to administration. So making this a Biden vs. Trump issue is really just sharpening the political axe rather than trying to move the needle. I happen to think Merrick Garland, as a judge, will do an unbiased investigation and see the need for it. I heard last night that Garland actually pushed for this investigation some time ago; but intentionally delayed it until after the verdict was read to avoid affecting the jury. So kudos for him on this decision. Unfortunately, the city of Minneapolis was not so circumspect in paying the Floyd family 27 million prior to the verdict. I wonder what would have happened in the OJ Simpson case if the civil suit had been decided against OJ before the criminal case.

 

[SummerMadness]

The DOJ, other than the head man, does not change much from administration to administration. So making this a Biden vs. Trump issue is really just sharpening the political axe rather than trying to move the needle. I happen to think Merrick Garland, as a judge, will do an unbiased investigation and see the need for it. I heard last night that Garland actually pushed for this investigation some time ago; but intentionally delayed it until after the verdict was read to avoid affecting the jury. So kudos for him on this decision. Unfortunately, the city of Minneapolis was not so circumspect in paying the Floyd family 27 million prior to the verdict. I wonder what would have happened in the OJ Simpson case if the civil suit had been decided against OJ before the criminal case.

The head of the DOJ is responsible for whether these investigations and probes move forward. Sessions and Barr were expressly against any sort of investigation into policing, even going as far as to reverse consent decrees that were already in place under the staff you argue doesn't change much.

You are correct, the civil servants do their job, but the reversal of the work done during the previous administration shows the influence of the political appointees at top. It has nothing to do with grinding a political axe.

 

[civilwarbuff]

A Minneapolis police officer was just convicted of murdering Mr Floyd, maybe this investigation is to try to make sure that this tragedy doesn’t occur again in the good city?
“Pandering”.

Do better.

The OP is about the DOJ investigation not the trial and conviction. Try to stay on topic.....

 

[SummerMadness]

The OP is about the DOJ investigation not the trial and conviction. Try to stay on topic.....

The trial is related to the Minneapolis Police Department and their tactics that led to the situations like the murder of George Floyd. It is relevant and on-topic.

 

[civilwarbuff]

It is relevant and on-topic.

Guess we interpret 'relative and on topic' very differently especially since this thread is about the DOJ investigation not George Floyd.....

 

[SummerMadness]

Guess we interpret 'relative and on topic' very differently especially since this thread is about the DOJ investigation not George Floyd.....

The topic is about the Minneapolis Police Department. George Floyd was a victim of an officer in that department. It's on topic, but you are free to report me about my own thread.

 

[civilwarbuff]

The topic is about the Minneapolis Police Department.

Exactly......not George Floyd.......