At the trial of the police officer who killed George Floyd continues in Minneapolis, the area is currently reeling from the death of Daunte Wright.
Wright, 20, was killed during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. A police officer, believing she was firing a taser, actually was firing her gun.
“We are heartbroken by the senseless killing of Daunte Wright,” the Vikings said in a statement issued on Monday night. “This avoidable situation is yet another tragic reminder of the drastic need for change in law enforcement training and police relations, specifically within the Black community. Our hearts go out to Mr. Wright’s family and friends and all of those who are hurting in our community.”
The tragic mistake made as to Wright underscores the importance of appropriate training and certification requirements when it comes to issuing to police officers deadly force and the ability to use it. In most other lines of work, the accidental use of the wrong tool is no big deal. For law enforcement, it becomes a potential matter of life and death.