The US Justice Department is opening a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis after a former officer was convicted in the killing of George Floyd there, the country's attorney general, Merrick Garland, said on Wednesday.
The decision comes a day after fired officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death last May, setting off a wave of relief across the country.
The death prompted months of mass protests against policing and the treatment of black people in the US.
The Justice Department was already investigating whether Chauvin and the other officers involved in Floyd’s death violated his civil rights.
“Yesterday’s verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis,” Mr Garland said.
The new investigation is known as a “pattern or practice” – examining whether there is a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing – and will be a more sweeping probe of the entire police department and may result in major changes to policing there.
It will examine the use of force by police officers, including force used during protests, and whether the department engages in discriminatory practices.
It will also look into the department’s handling of misconduct allegations and its treatment of people with behavioural health issues and will assess the department’s current systems of accountability, Mr Garland said.
Mr Garland said a public report would be issued, if the department finds a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing.
The Justice Department could also bring a lawsuit against the police department, which in the past have typically ended in settlement agreements or consent decrees to force changes.
Floyd, 46, was arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 note for a packet of cigarettes at a corner market. He panicked, pleaded that he was claustrophobic and struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car. They put him on the ground instead.
The Minneapolis Police Department is also being investigated by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which is looking into the department’s policies and practices over the last decade to see if it engaged in systemic discriminatory practices.
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Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, wipes tears from his eyes as he speaks during a news conference after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin is convicted in the killing of George Floyd. AP Photo -
The Rev. Jessie Jackson speaks at a news conference as the Rev. Al Sharpton looks on following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. AFP -
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is led away in handcuffs after a jury found him guilty on all counts in his trial for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Reuters -
Thousands of people gathered at the site where George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, to celebrate Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict. Willy Lowry / The National -
A man pumps his fist from out his car window after former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of 3 counts in the death of George Floyd. Willy Lowry / The National -
A man holds a George Floyd banner outside the Hennepin County Government Centre where former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty. Willy Lowry / The National -
People gather outside the Hennepin County Government Centre. Willy Lowry / The National -
A man holds a portrait of George Floyd outside the Hennepin County Government Centre. Willy Lowry / The National -
A man holds an infant in his lap as he celebrates the verdict in Derek Chauvin's trial. Willy Lowry / The National -
A person celebrates in their car after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all charges. Willy Lowry / The National -
A man holds a portrait of George Floyd outside the Hennepin County Government Centre. Willy Lowry / The National -
A man plays the sousaphone in George Floyd Square. Willy Lowry / The National -
A shrine to black lives lost to police brutality at George Floyd Square. Willy Lowry / The National -
Charles McMillan and Genevieve Hansen, witnesses who testified in the trial, embrace in George Floyd Square after the verdict was read in the Derek Chauvin trial. AFP -
Paris Stevens, cousin of George Floyd, speaks at George Floyd Square after the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP -
Mourners gather for a vigil for George Floyd following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP -
Porchse Queen Miller and others march through the streets after the verdict was announced for Derek Chauvin in Atlanta, United States. AFP -
Georgia state representative Erica Thomas hugs her daughter while listening to speakers speak before marching through the streets after the verdict was announced for Derek Chauvin in Atlanta. AFP -
People celebrate at the George Floyd Square after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. EPA -
A person pays his respect at a mural of George Floyd after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of Floyd, in Denver, Colorado. Reuters -
People gather at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue following the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. AFP -
A woman places a placard at a makeshift memorial with the image of Daunte Wright after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, in New York City, New York. Reuters -
A protester holds a poster displaying the portrait of Ma'Khia Bryant as people gathered to the news that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges in the murder of George Floyd in Los Angeles, Californi. EPA -
Shannon Haynes talks to her son Ronald Haynes, 9, about George Floyd in front of a memorial following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. AFP
