Brooklyn Center, Minnesota is now famous for being the place where Daunte Wright was killed in a police involved shooting as he resisted arrest.  It is also now famous for at least 2 nights of riots following the events that sparked a curfew being put in place.

Daunte had a warrant out for his arrest and liked flashing money and guns in his photos.

None of this in and of itself warrants the young man’s death, of course.

He is also a father and son:

Expired tags are a marginal excuse for any kind of police stop.  The police officer who shot Daunte is appropriately under investigation under due process of law while the police chief and video suggest it was an accidental shooting.  Due process and rule of law are how things would work in the sane and constitutional America of 10 years ago.

Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott

But, this is 2021.

So, the Mayor of Brooklyn Center, Mike Elliott, issued a statement saying that the officer should be immediately fired without due process or rule of law:

“Let me be very clear – my position is that we cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people in our profession. I do fully support releasing the officer of her duties,” Elliott said.

However, the City Manager of Brooklyn Center, a black man named Curt Boganey, made a statement as well.

Officer Potter of Brooklyn Center, MN

In it he said the 26-year police officer, Kim Potter, was under investigation under due process of law.  So, she would not be fired without due process being fulfilled:

“All employees working for the city of Brooklyn Center are entitled to due process with respect to discipline,” he said at a press conference, Fox New reported. “This employee will receive due process and that’s really all that I can say today.”

When pressed by the media to give personal opinions on the case, Boganey didn’t budge.  Instead, like a good leader, he reiterated that “If I were to answer that question, I’d be contradicting what I said a moment ago—which is to say that all employees are entitled to due process and after that due process, discipline will be determined…If I were to say anything else, I would actually be contradicting the idea of due process.”

Now, however, because the City Manager of Brooklyn Center Minnesota has stated that officer Potter–like all suspects–is required the due process of law, he has been fired by Mayor Mike Elliott and his City Council.

Elliott briefly took over command authority of the city police force and put the deputy city manager in charge as he installed a curfew on the city.

Does this make any sense?

All the City Manager did was state a fact and call for due process under constitutional rule of law.  He acted as a leader by remaining unemotional and sticking to constitutional law and order principles.

The Mayor, conversely believes these constitutional principles somehow undermine his authority and must therefor be subverted.

So, by what law and philosophical construct does Mike Elliott believe he is allowed to govern his city if not the US Constitution?

And, why, after less than 24 hours, do we have the name and photo of the police officer involved in this shooting, but not the name and photo of the D.C. law officer who executed Ashli Babbit after over three months?  What is the difference, here?

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