The Justice Department will investigate Minneapolis police practices following the death of George Floyd

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“The challenges we face are deeply intertwined in our history. They did not arise today or last year, trust between the community and law enforcement will require time and effort for all,” Garland said. “But we take on this task with determination and urgency, knowing that change cannot wait.”

The extensive federal civilian investigation will include a “thorough review” of the “policies, training, oversight and use of force investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department,” he announced.

It will assess whether the Minneapolis Police Department “participates in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including protests,” whether it engages in “discriminatory conduct,” and whether “the treatment of people with behavioral health disabilities is illegal.” legal, ”Garland said.

The Justice Department announcement comes after verdicts of guilt against Chauvin for Floyd’s murder. A video of the viewer captured Chauvin kneeling on the neck and back of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, for 9 minutes and 29 seconds on May 25, 2020.

Chauvin could receive up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder and up to 10 years for murder. Three other agents, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, are expected to stand trial in August.

According to the attorney general, the new civil investigation is separate from an independent federal criminal investigation into Floyd’s death, which is still ongoing.

Garland acknowledged that police officers have “difficult jobs,” but added, “I firmly believe that good officers do not want to work on systems that allow for bad practices. Good officers like accountability.”

He calls for police reform

Floyd’s death restarted a year of protests and recognition by US police, with calls for Democrats and progressives to reform the system.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the verdict in the Chauvin trial a “step too rare” for black men and said “we can’t stop here.” The process and other recent police shootings have increased pressure on the Biden administration and U.S. lawmakers to make policy changes. In the coming weeks, key Republican and Democratic lawmakers plan to engage in substantive debates to see if a police review agreement can be reached at the time of Floyd’s death anniversary next month.
A teenager with 'a mobile phone and enthusiasm' is credited with the murder conviction of Derek Chauvin
In a speech last week, Garland had vowed to examine the practices of police departments that commit civil rights violations.

At the time, Garland said the Justice Department’s efforts would include grants to help police departments across the country “improve their practices through funding and technical assistance, leveraging to promote policing policies that benefit communities. and increase confidence “.

The attorney general also rescinded a Trump-era directive that limited the use of civilian settlements with the police department that had allegations of civil rights violations.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Jessica Schneider contributed to this report.

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