The latest on the police shooting in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

By Melissa Macaya, Melissa Mahtani, Mike Hayes and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 0725 GMT (1525 HKT) April 13, 2021
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1:22 p.m. ET, April 12, 2021

Police chief explains what led to Daunte Wright's traffic stop

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon was asked to explain what led to the initial traffic stop that ultimately preceded Daunte Wright's death.

"From what I understood from the public safety briefing there was an expired registration on the vehicle. The tags were expired. Upon arrival when the officer made contact, at that time when he walked up to the car he discovered there was a hanging item from the rearview mirror. So there was a contact that the officer went up there initially for, obtained his ID, or his name, he walked back to his car and at that time he ran his name and he found out that he had a warrant. That's why they removed him from the car and they were making custodial arrest," Gannon told reporters at a news conference. 

"Can you tell us more about the warrants?" a reporter asked. 

"I have very little information on the warrant other than it was a gross misdemeanor warrant," he said. 

Wright died following an encounter with Brooklyn Center police, when he was fatally shot at a traffic stop Sunday afternoon.

1:59 p.m. ET, April 12, 2021

Police chief: Officer's shooting of Wright appears to be an "accidental discharge"

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon speaks at a press conference on Monday.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon speaks at a press conference on Monday. CNN

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said that he believed the officer who shot Daunte Wright accidentally drew a handgun instead of a Taser.

"For informational purposes we train with our handguns on our dominant side, and our Taser on our weak side. If you're right-handed you carry your firearm on your right side and your carry your Taser on the left. This is done purposefully, and it's trained. As I watch the video and listen to the officer's commands, it is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser, but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet," the chief said.

Gannon said that he believes "this was an accidental discharge, that resulted in a tragic death of Mr. Wright."

Gannon said that he has asked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Administration to conduct an independent investigation. He said that officer is currently on administrative leave.

Watch:

1:12 p.m. ET, April 12, 2021

Officer involved in shooting is on administrative leave, chief says

The officer involved in the shooting of Daunte Wright is on administrative leave, Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said today.

Gannon urged the public to remain peaceful as authorities investigate the shooting.

"I'm also stressing that I do hope for the community to be patient and allow this investigation, criminal investigation, to be completed as thoroughly as possible. I believe Mr. Wright deserves this, as do all involved," he said at a news conference.

1:37 p.m. ET, April 12, 2021

"Couldn't have happened at a worse time," mayor says of shooting as Minnesota watches Derek Chauvin's trial

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

CNN
CNN

Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Mayor Mike Elliott said the death of Daunte Wright, a Black man who was shot by a police officer and died following a traffic stop, "couldn't have happened at a worse time."

The shooting happened Sunday in the Minneapolis suburb, about 10 miles from where former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for the killing of another Black man, George Floyd.

"We recognize that this couldn't have happened at a worse time," he said in a news conference Monday. "We recognize that this is happening at a time when our community —when all of America, indeed all of the world — is watching."

He added:

"We continue to be distressed as we go through the Derek Chauvin trial. So having a police-involved shooting happen in our community, and killing a young man, is heartbreaking and just unfathomable. So our entire community is filled with grief at yesterday's police-involved shooting that led to the killing of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old young African American male."

1:14 p.m. ET, April 12, 2021

Body camera footage from the shooting will be released, mayor says

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

CNN
CNN

Mayor of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Mike Elliott says body camera footage of yesterday's deadly shooting will be released today.

"Our Brooklyn Center officers do wear body cams. And so, there is body camera footage of the event. And we do plan on releasing the body camera footage today. In fact, we plan to do so here."
12:59 p.m. ET, April 12, 2021

Biden will address Minnesota shooting today during virtual summit, White House says 

From CNN's Kate Sullivan

 Amr Alfiky/Pool/The New York Times/Getty Images
 Amr Alfiky/Pool/The New York Times/Getty Images

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting of a Black man by police that took place in Minnesota on Sunday, and will address it at a virtual meeting this afternoon with CEOs on semiconductors, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.  

“We were incredibly saddened to hear about the loss of life at the hands of law enforcement in Minnesota yesterday,” Psaki said at a White House briefing. 

She continued: “The President has of course been briefed, he will have a few words he will share at the top of the semiconductor event that will be starting shortly.”

“We are also in touch with the governor in touch with the mayor in touch with local law enforcement authorities as well,” Psaki said. 

Psaki said: “It is a reminder of the pain, the anger, the trauma, the exhaustion that many communities across the country have felt as we see these incidents continue to occur within just a few miles of where the tragic events happened just a year ago.”

 

12:48 p.m. ET, April 12, 2021

Brooklyn Center mayor says he spoke to the White House following Daunte Wright's death 

From CNN’s Eric Fiegel 

Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Mayor Mike Elliott said in a tweet that he appreciated President Biden “reaching out to offer his administration’s support.”  

Hundreds of people protested in Brooklyn Center Sunday night after Daunte Wright died following an encounter with police at a traffic stop Sunday afternoon. 

“Just got off the phone with the @WhiteHouse. I appreciate @POTUS reaching out to offer his administration’s support,” the mayor said in a tweet, along with a photo of him on the phone.

12:29 p.m. ET, April 12, 2021

Daunte Wright's older brother says he believes Wright didn't know he had a warrant out for his arrest

From CNN’s Adrienne Broaddus

Daunte Wright’s older brother Damik Bryant told CNN he believes Wright did not know there was a warrant for his arrest.

Wright died following an encounter with Brooklyn Center police at a traffic stop Sunday afternoon.

Moments before the traffic stop, Bryant said Wright was heading to Bryant's new home for a visit. Bryant said he had texted Wright asking him what was taking so long, and Wright said he had been at a car wash.

He said when his brother was pulled over, he sent him a text saying, “I got pulled over” and asked about the insurance information. Bryant said he told his brother to call their mother for that information and he did. 

But by that time, Bryant said, officers had already entered Wright’s name in the system. “So he called my mom. And she said put me on the phone with the officer, but he already told him his name not thinking he had a warrant, you know, cops came back to the car and the original stop was for air fresheners,” Bryant said. 

“They asked him to step out the car and you know his first instinct was, ‘what did I do, what's wrong?’ And they were like ‘well, put the phone down, get out the car now we'll talk to you about it when you get out.’ So, he gets out the car, and you know he's, there's a bunch of police already, you know, so they ask him to put his hands behind his back, and then he tries to get back in the car to leave and they fired,” Bryant said. 

While police have not explained why they conducted the initial traffic stop, his mother told CNN affiliate WCCO that Wright told her "they pulled him over because had air fresheners hanging from the rearview mirror."

Wright’s girlfriend was riding in the car with him, Bryant told CNN. 

“His girlfriend called my mom on FaceTime and said that they shot Daunte and mom was like, ‘let me see him’ and he was slumped over,” Bryant said wiping away tears. “We don’t even really know why. We know what happened and we don’t know why."

11:35 a.m. ET, April 12, 2021

SOON: Police will give an update on yesterday's deadly shooting

The Brooklyn Center Police Department in Minnesota is scheduled to hold a press conference to give updates on yesterday's deadly officer-involved shooting.

It is expected to start at 12 p.m. ET. 

Previously, police reported they were trying to take a man into custody on Sunday after they determined he had outstanding warrants during a traffic stop. He got back into his vehicle and an officer shot him, police said. He then drove several blocks before striking another vehicle, police said.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz identified the man killed in Sunday's incident as Daunte Wright.