Southern Poverty Law Center denounces shooting near trial of Derek Chauvin

MINNEAPOLIS -- Earlier this week police police shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright about 10 miles from the courthouse were Derek Chauvin is on trial for the murder of George Floyd. Wright was shot during a traffic stop, sparking unrest in an area already reeling from the death of Floyd.

The following is a statement from Shay Farley, regional policy director with SPLC Action Fund.

“The killing of George Floyd was a horrific act of police violence that galvanized the nation to stand up to police misconduct. Derek Chauvin was filmed putting his knee on George Floyd’s neck for nine and a half minutes. But the tragic death of Daunte Wright demonstrated that much still needs to change. Real systemic reform still needs to happen. Lawmakers at the state and federal level must begin listening to the calls to end police violence. We must stop the senseless killing and hold people, including police officers, accountable.”