The National Guard was deployed to Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on Sunday night after hundreds of protesters gathered over the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old Black man by a police officer during a traffic stop.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz confirmed the victim as Daunte Wright. The incident occurred about 10 miles from where now-former police officer Derek Chauvin‘s trial for murdering George Floyd trial is underway, now entering its third week.
“Gwen and I are praying for Daunte Wright’s family as our state mourns another life of a Black man taken by law enforcement,” Walz tweeted.
The shooting occurred Sunday afternoon while police were attempting to arrest Wright after determining he had outstanding warrants. According to the authorities, the victim resisted and got back into his car, prompting an officer to shoot him, CNN reports. Wright then drove several blocks before colliding with another car.
Medical personnel allegedly attempted life-saving measures, but Wright died at the scene, according to the report.
Wright called his mother during the traffic stop to let her know he was being arrested. It would be their last conversation.
“He said they pulled him over because he had air fresheners hanging from the rearview mirror,” Wright’s mother, Katie Wright, told CNN affiliate WCCO. “A minute later, I called and his girlfriend answered, which was the passenger in the car, and said that he’d been shot.”
“He didn’t deserve to be shot and killed like this,” Katie Wright said.
Read More: 12 National Guardsmen removed from inauguration over alt-right ties
Her son’s death brought out hundreds of demonstrators Sunday night, who marched toward the police department expressing their fury over yet another officer-involved killing of an unarmed Black man. CNN affiliate KARE captured footage of protesters swarming around police cars, with some attempting to damage the vehicles. Authorities also tracked calls about shots fired, break-ins and property damage in multiple areas, including Minneapolis.
The state responded to the chaos by deploying the Minnesota National Guard over what Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott described as “growing civil unrest.” The mayor also issued a curfew until the daylight hours of Monday morning.
Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is reportedly investigating the shooting. Body camera footage of Wright’s deadly encounter with the police has not yet been released.
Read More: Minnesota boy, 6, killed after unsupervised children find gun in house
Meanwhile, Superintendent Dr. Carly Baker confirmed that Brooklyn Center Community Schools will be closed Monday in favor of remote learning “out of an abundance of caution.”
“I haven’t entirely processed the tragedy that took place in our community,” Baker wrote in a message posted on the school’s website, “and I’m prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our students, families, staff members and community members.”
Read More: Judge refuses to sequester jury in George Floyd murder case
According to Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington, authorities will continue to heavily monitor the area over this week.
“You will see a robust assortment of National Guard, state and local police departments working together over the next two or three days,” Harrington said.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast, “Dear Culture?” Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio today!
[jwp-video n=”2″