Following the death of 47-year-old George Floyd, which occurred after a Minneapolis Police Department officer knelt on his neck and filmed in a video which has since gone viral, President Joan Gabel announced Wednesday that the University of Minnesota would change its relationship with MPD.
In a campus-wide email, Gabel announced that the University will no longer contract with MPD for law enforcement support during large events or for specialized services such as explosive detection. MPD will still participate in joint patrols and “investigations that directly enhance the safety of our community.”
“University students, staff, and faculty are day-to-day participants in the life of every community in this state, and we must act when our neighbors are harmed and in pain,” Gabel said in the email.
The move comes a day after undergraduate student body president Jael Kerandi publicly demanded that the University cease all partnerships with MPD, launching a petition on social media. Tuesday also saw protests against police brutality in South Minneapolis, which have garnered international attention.
Floyd died in MPD custody on Monday. The video documents him saying to the officer, “Please, I can’t breathe.”
This is a breaking news story. More information will be added as it becomes available.
