Investigation on the Minneapolis Police Department

On April 21, 2021, Attorney General, Maverick Garland, announced the start of a civil investigation for misconduct in the Minneapolis Police Department. This now is the second investigation the department is under. The first was a federal investigation into the death of George Floyd.  

The Justice Department will investigate the policies and operations of the Minneapolis Police Department. While investigators will seek to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, they will also review the department’s policies, training, supervision and use-of-force investigations. 

If the investigators find reasonable evidence to prove unlawful policing, the Department of Justice will issue a public report and then vote upon bringing a civil suit against the department. A civil case is when it involves a legal dispute between two or more parties. A civil action begins when a party to a dispute files a complaint, and pays a filing fee required by statute.

Garland acknowledged that police officers have difficult jobs, but also says how he “strongly believes that good officers do not want to work in systems that allow bad practices.”

The Justice Department has already begun reaching out to community groups and members of the public about their experiences with Minneapolis police. Garland had vowed to examine the practices of the police departments that commit civil rights violations.

Attorney General, Maverick Garland, is conducting an investigation of the Minneapolis police department for misconduct and a pattern of excessive force. They also look for if they act lawfully. If investigators find the police department guilty they would file a public report to bring a civil suit against the department and end the case.