Friend –

On Sunday afternoon in Minnesota, Daunte Wright was shot and killed by police after being pulled over for having an expired registration.

He should still be alive today.

As we learn more, the ACLU echoes the ACLU of Minnesota's calls for an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation by an outside agency other than the Brooklyn Center Police or the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

But there's also far more that must be done across the country. The fact is, Daunte Wright's killing is one of over 260 police killings that have taken place in just the first three and a half months of 2021. It happened less than 10 miles north of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer responsible for the death of George Floyd.

Black people in America are constantly at risk of state-sponsored violence and death. Police still exist to uphold white supremacy and have been empowered by laws and the courts to inject themselves into Black life for any reason, no matter how minor – even expired registrations.

And as long as police continue to act as this occupying force and mechanism for social control in Black communities – horrific acts of police violence will be commonplace.

No legal reform or departmental policy change will alter this dichotomy, no money thrown at police departments will result in an end to police violence – and no amount of training will prevent situations like Sunday's from happening.

The only way to end the scourge of police violence is to minimize the role that police play in our daily life – that means immediately divesting from policing institutions. We must end the criminal enforcement of low-level offenses, reallocate taxpayer money into harm-reducing solutions, and reinvest in Black and Brown communities.

This is what the ACLU has been and will continue working relentlessly toward – following the lead and long-standing efforts of Black organizers and Black-led groups pushing for the same.

On ACLU's "At Liberty" podcast this week, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Somil Trivedi and I talked about why and how this transformational change is possible. Please listen to it – or read the full transcript – when you have a moment to dedicate to this important work.

It is far past time for tangible action to avoid killings like that of Daunte Wright. Together, we can make sure it finally happens.

Thank you and take care,

Paige Fernandez
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Policing Policy Advisor, National Political Advocacy Department, ACLU

P.S. If you are planning to protest or know someone who is, we want to make sure you know your rights as you take to the streets. Review them here, then screenshot or copy and paste for sharing. And of course, be safe.