On April 21, 2021, one day after a jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty for murdering George Floyd, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the DOJ had opened an investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the MPD.

See the DOJ press release

The DOJ stated its investigation would assess all types of force used by MPD officers. This includes use of force towards:

• People with behavioral health disabilities
• Those engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment

The investigation assessed whether MPD engages in discriminatory policing. The DOJ conducted a comprehensive review of MPD:

• Policies
• Training
• Supervision

The DOJ also examined MPD’s systems of accountability, including:

• Complaint intake
• Investigation
• Review
• Disposition
• Discipline

This was an investigation into the City and MPD as a whole, and not of any particular individuals. The investigation was civil, not criminal.

The City and MPD have been fully committed to supporting the DOJ investigation.

Beginning in April 2021, the City and MPD:

• Responded to numerous information requests
• Provided dozens of witnesses for interviews
• Arranged MPD ride-alongs for DOJ investigators
• Arranged observations of the City’s 911 dispatch center
• Produced thousands of pages of documents to the DOJ

The DOJ issued a report about the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department. The report states that the DOJ has reasonable cause to believe that the City and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.

The City and DOJ have agreed to negotiate toward a court-enforceable consent decree with an independent monitor.

Read the DOJ findings report

The City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey approved the terms of the court-enforceable consent decree. The consent decree was filed in federal court. A federal judge must approve the consent decree before it becomes a court-enforceable order.

Read the consent decree

The DOJ filed a motion for a 30-day stay in the court proceedings for the consent decree. A federal judge approved the request. The effect of this decision by the court was to pause any court proceedings for 30 days.

The DOJ filed a motion for another 30-day stay in the court proceedings for the consent decree. A federal judge approved the request as well. 

The DOJ filed a motion for a third 30-day stay in the court proceedings for the consent decree. A federal judge approved the request as well.