CEO Statement on the Police Killing of Daunte Wright
April 13, 2021
Failing to signal a lane change. Falling asleep in a parking lot. A broken tail light. These are all situations that have led to the killing of Black men during police traffic stops. Daunte Wright was 20-years old. He was killed by a Minnesota police officer after a “pretextual traffic stop” for an expired registration. His homicide occurred less than 10 miles from the trial of Officer Derick Chauvin who is accused of torturing and killing George Floyd over an alleged $10 counterfeit bill.
Monitoring and restraining the movement of Black people has been a preoccupation of American policing that draws its roots in part from southern slave catching. Pretextual traffic stops extend the criminal legal system’s surveillance against Black people and are used to intimidate persons who are justice-involved. Being on probation or parole, having an open warrant, or looking like someone who committed a crime can lead to these intrusive stops.
CEO stands against police abuse, regardless of whether the abuse directly impacts Black and Brown communities or minimizes the impact of racist violence on Asian and Pacific Islander community members. We speak up for Black Lives and demand justice for Daunte and his family. Daunte should be alive today. He should have had the chance to live his life. To make mistakes and learn from them. To receive the love and support of his family. To become a man. He was denied this and it was no accident.
