MPD to adopt 6 immediate changes after court order

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Hennepin County judge ruled the city of Minneapolis must institute six immediate measures to comply with an order filed by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights Monday.

The order requires the Minneapolis Police Department to cooperate with a civil rights investigation, but also lays out some preliminary measures the department must comply with in the meantime.

Under the court order entered by Hennepin County District Court Judge Karen Janisch, the City of Minneapolis must implement the following measures:

• Ban the use of all neck restraints and choke holds.
• Any police officer, regardless of tenure or rank, must report while still on scene if they observe another police officer use any unauthorized use of force, including any choke hold or neck restraint.
• Any police officer, regardless of tenure or rank, must intervene by verbal and physical means if they observe another police officer use any unauthorized use of force, including any choke hold or neck restraint.
• Only the Police Chief or the Chief’s designee at the rank of Deputy Chief may approve the use of crowd control weapons, including chemical agents, rubber bullets, flash-bangs, batons, and marking rounds, during protests and demonstrations.
• The Police Chief must make timely and transparent discipline decisions for police officers as outlined in the order.
• Civilian body worn camera footage analysts and investigators in the City’s Office of Police Conduct Review have the authority to proactively audit body worn camera footage and file or amend complaints on behalf of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department.

“Today’s court order will create immediate change for communities of color and Indigenous communities who have suffered generational pain and trauma as a result of systemic and institutional racism and long-standing problems in policing,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.

The civil rights investigation comes in response to the death of George Floyd, who died after being arrested by Minneapolis police.