Daunte Wright's mother reacts after Brooklyn Center council rejects policing change
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (FOX 9) - The fallout continues in Brooklyn Center, after a 3-to-2 Monday night city council vote killed efforts to change police policy and training for traffic stops.
The proposed resolution came about as a result of recommendations made after the death of Daunte Wright at the hands of Brooklyn Center police in 2021.
"We did everything they asked for, and then they turned around and said no," Daunte Wright's mother Katie Wright said. "They’re afraid of change."
Katie Wright says the changes were promised in a $3.25 million settlement with the city after then-police officer Kim Potter killed Daunte almost three years ago.
"They are cowards, complete cowards, that are not wanting change," Katie said. "They bamboozled us."
At a small protest outside the police department on Tuesday, Katie said lives will be saved if police officers are no longer pulling over drivers with invalid registration, bad muffler, missing license plate lamps, objects suspended from the windshield, or broken headlights or taillights.
"It was all written in the resolution we agreed upon, and none of it has been fulfilled by them voting no last night," Katie said. "I feel like it’s a violation of our settlement agreement, and I will be seeking further legal help."
Wright says she also plans to use her non-profit to continue the push for policy changes. She’d like to see a re-vote of Monday night’s decision, or she’ll bring this subject back up down the line.
"We’re going to continue to push," Katie said. "Their vote last night wasn’t the be-all, say-all."
In a statement, Brooklyn Center Mayor April Graves, one of the two "yes" votes, shared her disappointment with the vote:
"Research has shown that pretextual stops are ineffective, harmful, and disproportionately enforced upon people of color.
"Cities that have made changes to their pretextual stop policies have seen reductions in racial disparities and an increase in stops for moving violations like speeding.
"The resolutions before our council were the result of 2 years of collaborative work with community, staff, and national experts. It was a final comprise that incorporated feedback from our police department.
"I am extremely hurt, angry, and disappointed with the results of last night's vote, but I am not deterred. I will continue to fight for what is right, educate and work to build more understanding, and advocate for changes that center equity and promote justice in our city."