The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers in May 2020 put the issue of police reform back into the national discussion and made Minnesota, at least during a brief window of time, confront its past on issues of racism and police abuse. The video showing Mr. Floyd pleading for his life while a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck became an unprecedented catalyst for outrage. Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, massive protests and civil unrest spread from Minneapolis to all over the world.
Nationwide demonstrations and media attention put pressure on policymakers and police departments to make substantial changes. Police reform efforts appeared at every level of government. For instance, the New York Police Department announced that it would disband its notorious plainclothes anti-crime unit. Likewise, a majority of the Minneapolis City Council vowed to “begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department.” By summer’s end, Iowa, Delaware, Utah, and Nevada passed legislation banning choke holds, and Colorado enacted broad changes that could serve as a model for Minnesota and other states. Meanwhile, the United States House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill that “mark[ed] one of the most comprehensive efforts in modern times to re-imagine law enforcement departments across the country.”