Minnesota police fatally shoot man in traffic stop sparking wave of protests

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Video report by ITV News Correspondent Robert Moore

A 20-year-old man has died after being shot by police during a traffic stop in Minnesota, the alleged victim’s family has told a crowd.

The family of Daunte Wright said he was shot in the city of Brooklyn Centre on the outskirts of Minneapolis before getting back into his car and driving away then crashing the vehicle several blocks away.

Officials from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said the agency was at the scene of a shooting involving a police officer in Brooklyn Centre, while the Wright family demanded answers from police.

Police had to disperse a large crowd at the site of the shooting Credit: Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune/AP

The incident happened with Minneapolis already on edge and midway through the trial of the first of four police officers in George Floyd’s death.

According to a statement from Brooklyn Center Police, officers stopped an individual shortly before 2pm on Sunday after determining the driver had an outstanding warrant.

Police said when they tried to arrest the driver, the driver re-entered the vehicle and drove away. An officer fired at the vehicle, striking the driver, with the car travelling several blocks before striking another vehicle.

Police did not identify the driver who was shot but said the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the person’s name following a preliminary autopsy and family notification.

Police vehicles were damaged following the shooting. Credit: AP

A female passenger sustained non-life threatening injuries during the crash, police added.

A police officer was also transported to the hospital after sustaining injuries, according to audio of an emergency services call reported by the Star-Tribune.

By Sunday evening, about 100 people had gathered near the scene, the newspaper said.

“The officer shooting in Brooklyn Centre today is tragic. We are asking the protesters to continue to be peaceful and that peaceful protesters are not dealt with force,” Brooklyn Centre Mayor Mike Elliott said on Twitter.

Daunte Wright’s family is demanding answers following the incident Credit: AP

Katie Wright, Daunte’s mother, tearfully pleaded for more information regarding the incident and for her son’s body to be moved from the street.

A woman who lives near the crash scene, Carolyn Hanson, said she saw law enforcement officers pull a man out of a vehicle and perform CPR.

A passenger who got out of the car was also covered in blood, Ms Hanson said.

Police said Brooklyn Centre officers wear body-worn cameras and they also believe dash cameras were activated during the incident. The Brooklyn Center Police Department said it has asked the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to investigate.