On Sunday, April 11, 2021, Daunte Wright was fatally shot by Brooklyn Center police. In response, Senate DFL Leader Susan Kent (DFL-Woodbury) released the following statement:
“My heart goes out to the family and friends of Daunte Wright, who lost his life as the result of an officer-involved shooting. Daunte’s death comes at a particularly hard time during the trial of Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, and our community members are struggling, yet again, with the senseless death of a Black man at the hands of a police officer,” said Senator Susan Kent. “Last summer, in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, Senate and House DFLers, led by the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) caucus, immediately began working on police reform. That work led to the Police Accountability Act of 2020, which included measures to reform policing and public safety. But we said then that it was only a first step. There is a great deal more work to do to enact meaningful, lasting reform, and the Senate DFL remains committed to doing that work. We call on Senate Republicans to hear a number of bills that will make a difference and to rise to the challenge to come to the table to work together for real change. We must take this moment and act with urgency to pursue racial justice and police accountability reforms to end police brutality and ensure that all Minnesotans can feel safe and be safe in their communities.”