Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday announced that the Department of Justice is launching an investigation into the practices of the Minneapolis Police Department.
“The investigation I am announcing today will assess whether the Minneapolis police department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests,” Garland said during a press conference.
The announcement came one day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted by a jury in the murder of George Floyd, who was killed in custody last year.
Garland said the investigation will also examine whether the department’s treatment of individuals with behavioral health disabilities is lawful. He said the department had already begun outreach to the local community, CNBC reports.
The Justice Department probe is known as a pattern-or-practice investigation. The Justice Department had earlier announced a separate investigation into whether Chauvin violated Floyd’s civil rights.
President Joe Biden last night that he would push forward on reforming the nation’s policing.
