The University of Minnesota announced it will no longer use the Minneapolis Police Department to work security at large events like football games and ceremonies, stating that the police-involved death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, “will not stand.”
“Our hearts are broken after watching the appalling video capturing the actions of Minneapolis Police Department officers against George Floyd leading to his tragic death,” university President Joan Gabel wrote Wednesday. “As a community, we are outraged and grief-stricken. I do not have the words to fully express my pain and anger and I know that many in our community share those feelings, but also fear for their own safety. This will not stand.”
Ms. Gabel said the police department will no longer be invited to provide security for campus events and will no longer be used for “specialized services” such as K-9 explosive detection units at campus events. She said the university’s relationship with the police department will be limited only to “joint patrols and investigations that directly enhance the safety of our community.”
Ms. Gabel went on to demand “accountability and justice” for Floyd.
Her statement came before a second night of violent protests in Minneapolis over the death of Floyd, who died on Memorial Day after a police officer pinned him to the ground by the neck for at least seven minutes during an arrest. Four officers involved in his death were fired Tuesday, and the mayor is seeking criminal charges.
Video of the arrest reignited racial tensions in the country, compounded by months of lockdown restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Multiple businesses were looted and set ablaze and a man was reportedly killed by a pawn shop owner Wednesday night.
