At least 60 arrests made during third night of protests over shooting death of Daunte Wright

More than 60 people were arrested overnight as tensions bubbled over in Minnesota in the wake of the shooting death of Daunte Wright at the hands of a police officer during a traffic stop over the weekend.

The protests began peacefully early Tuesday evening, with hundreds of activists coming together outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department to express their outrage over 20-year-old Wright’s death. From there, the group marched to the local FBI office, where they repeated their calls for justice before circling back to the police station.

State Patrol Chief Matt Langer, during a press conference early Wednesday morning, estimated up to 1,000 protesters remained outside the building as night approached, according to WCCO. Dozens of police officers in riot gear, along with National Guard members, were tucked behind a barrier while others were perched on the station’s ceiling.

Authorities advance on demonstrators gathered outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department to protest the shooting death of Daunte Wright, late Tuesday, April 13, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, Minn. (John Minchillo/)

With one hour before curfew, authorities and protesters started to clash, prompting law enforcement to give dispersal orders for unlawful assembly. Some members of the crowd began shaking the fence while others hurled water and rocks at officers.

In response, police unleashed riot gas, projectiles and more flash-bangs.

“The behaviors that we continue to see are unacceptable and we are not going to tolerate them,” Langer said. “It is not acceptable and it will not be tolerated if you choose to do criminal activity and destroy property and throw objects and make it unsafe for people to come and exercise their First Amendment rights.”

The continued protests came the same day Kimberly Potter, the police officer who shot and killed Wright, and Police Chief Tim Gannon submitted their resignation letters. Potter said in wake of the shooting, which unfolded on a Minnesota roadside on Sunday, that she believed she’d been grabbing her Taser but instead grabbed her firearm by mistake.

Tuesday afternoon, workers were erecting metal fencing in front of Ms. Potter’s home in Champlin, but neighbors told the Wall Street Journal she’d already left the residence.

Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, who has been asked to handle potential prosecution in Wright’s death to avoid any conflict of interest, said he intends to make a charging decision at some point on Wednesday.