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Minneapolis plans to dismantle police department amid riots

According to the city council chair, under the proposed reform, some functions of the police would be performed by social workers and medics

© AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. The authorities of US city of Minneapolis (Minnesota), where riots over the murder of African American man George Floyd by a police officer have entered the second week, plan to reform the public security system, says Jeremiah Ellison, a member of the city council.

"We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department," the politician said, as cited by the Star Tribune newspaper.

We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.

And when we’re done, we’re not simply gonna glue it back together.

We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response.

It’s really past due. https://t.co/7WIxUL6W79
— Jeremiah Ellison (@jeremiah4north) June 4, 2020

This was confirmed by Lisa Bender, the council chair, who said that the Department would be replaced "with a transformative new model of public safety."

Minneapolis City Council President https://t.co/CIBbnRgLZL
— Erin Maye Quade (@ErinMayeQuade) June 4, 2020

According to Bender, it would be a department, in which some functions of the police would be performed by social workers and medics. The vote on the first stage of reforms will take place on June 5.

Widespread unrest has engulfed many US states over the death of an African-American Minneapolis man named George Floyd, who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck and choked him to death during his arrest. On May 26, all officers involved in the deadly arrest were fired. On May 29, the policeman in question, Derek Chauvin, was arrested on third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges. However, on June 3, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison upped the charge against Chauvin to second-degree murder. The three other officers involved in the fatal incident were arrested as well and are now facing charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

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