Post-George Floyd probe finds discrimination by Minneapolis police

A state investigation launched after George Floyd’s killing in the custody of four Minneapolis police officers has determined that the department engages in a pattern of race discrimination.

Minnesota’s Department of Human Rights announced the finding of the nearly two-year probe on Wednesday. The department has the power to enforce the state’s Human Rights Act, which makes it illegal for police departments to discriminate against someone due to their race.

Floyd was killed May 25, 2020, after then-Officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin the Black man to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes. Chauvin, who is white, was convicted last spring of murder. Three other officers — Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng — were convicted this year of violating Floyd’s civil rights in a federal trial and they face a state trial starting in June.

Floyd’s death sparked protests against police brutality and racism that spread around the world. In Minneapolis, longtime critics said it was further proof of a brutal police department culture that had long resisted change.

The Department of Human Rights started its investigation barely a week after Floyd’s death. Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said then that the goal was to find long-term solutions for systemic change in Minneapolis.