President Joe Biden Calls For Daunte Wright Firing To Be Investigated

Ilustrasi. (Wikimedia Commons/Paul Sableman)

JAKARTA - President Joe Biden on Monday called for peace after the tragic police shooting of Daunte Wright in Minnesota.

'I haven't called Daunte Wright's family, but my prayers are with the family. It's really a tragic thing to happen. The question is, was it an accident? Was it intentional? That remains to be determined by a thorough investigation", President Biden told NBCNews on Tuesday, April 13.

President Joe Biden also urged a massive investigation into Wright's death and called on protesters in Minnesota to be peaceful. He condemned the violence and looting that took place in Brooklyn center.

"This is really a tragic thing that happened, but I think we'll have to wait and see what's shown in the investigation", President Joe Biden continued.

Meanwhile, police referred to the shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in the suburbs, as an accidental incident by police who pulled out his firearm, which was supposed to pull out a Taser (electric shock weapon), Monday, April 12, local time.

The shooting sparked riots in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets, to disperse protesters demonstrating police violence against black people.

Brooklyn Central Police Chief Tim Gannon said at a news conference that Wright's shooting stemmed from the termination of the vehicle he was driving because his vehicle tax expired, Reuters reported Tuesday, April 13.

Police video footage shown in a press statement showed an officer trying to handcuff Wright next to the car before he broke free and got back in the car. At that point, the second officer shouted, "Taser, Taser, Taser," before unleashing one shot from his gun, according to the recording.

"Oh my God, I just shot him," shouted the policewoman as the car slid away.

"For me, from what I saw and the reaction and distress of the officers afterward, this was an accidental incident and led to Mr. Wright's death," Gannon said, adding that the investigation was still in its early stages and based on the evidence examined by police.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz set curfews for states including Minneapolis and St. Paul from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. CDT on Tuesday.

Previously, security status had been improved following the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former white Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd last year.

Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said the shooting occurred at a bad time, as the trial against Derek Chauvin was ongoing. He also asked the officer who carried out the shooting to be fired.

The shootings at the Brooklyn Center, like several recent high-profile shootings, including the 2016 death of Philando Castile in St.Paul, Minnesota, stemmed from traffic raids, a tactic that many activists, civil rights groups, and political leaders say is a form of harassment of communities of color.

Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney who helped win a $27 million legal settlement for Floyd's family with the city of Minneapolis, said he also represented the Wrights.

"Daunte Wright is another young black man killed at the hands of those who have vowed to protect and serve us all, not just the whitest of us", said Ben in a statement.

"As Minneapolis and other states continue to deal with the tragic murder of George Floyd, we must now also mourn the loss of this young man and father", he said.