Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Mom Of Black Man Killed By Police After Being Pulled Over For Having Air Fresheners Speaks Out

Mom Of Black Man Killed By Police After Being Pulled Over For Having Air Fresheners Speaks Out
@itsnotfunny/Twitter; @MeritLaw/Twitter

The mother of an unarmed Black man who died as a result of a police shooting just outside of Minneapolis on Sunday demanded justice for her son but urged protesters to remain peaceful.

The victim was identified as 20-year-old Daunte Wright.


His death happened against the backdrop of the murder trial—now in its third week—for a former Minneapolis police officer responsible for the death of another Minnesota Black man, George Floyd.

Wright's mother, Katie Wright, demanded some answers while talking to reporters.

"Nobody will tell us anything, nobody will talk to us," she said through tears.

Wright was pulled over by police for a traffic violation—hanging air fresheners from his rear-view mirror.

When officers tried to take him into custody after discovering he had an outstanding warrant, Wright tried to re-enter his vehicle and was subsequently shot by one of the officers.

The victim drove off for several blocks before crashing into another vehicle.

He died at the scene.

Wright's death sparked outrage resulting in a protest of around 500 demonstrators who were locked in a standoff with officers in riot gear in front of the headquarters of the Brooklyn Center police.

Authorities urged the crowd to disperse after "rocks and other objects" were thrown at officers.



The grieving mother told the Star Tribune.

"We don't want it to be about all this violence. All he did was have air fresheners in the car and they told him to get out of the car."

In a video interview with the New York Times, she recalled her phone conversation with her son—who notified her around 1:40 p.m. he was being pulled over.

"I said when the police officer comes back to the window, put him on the phone and I will give him the insurance information."
"Then I heard the police officer come to the window and say, 'Put the phone down and get out of the car.' And Daunte said why. He said, 'We'll explain to you when you get out of the car.'"

Mrs. Wright said she heard her son either dropping or putting the phone down on the dashboard before the call was cut off.

She continued:

"I heard scuffling and I heard the police officer say, 'Daunte, don't run' and then the officer said, 'put the phone down' and hung it up."

When she called her son back, Wright's girlfriend—who was a passenger inside the vehicle at the time—answered and informed the mother her son had been shot.


The anger and frustration continued over on Twitter.








Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said he would not comment on the shooting but did mention the Brooklyn Center Police Department uses bodycams—suggesting there is video footage from the fatal encounter.

More from Trending

Kristi Noem
Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images

'Hunger Games'-Style Immigrant Reality Show Pitched To Homeland Security Sparks Outrage

According to a report in The Daily Mail, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reportedly reviewing a pitch for a reality television show where immigrants would compete for a chance to fast-track their path to U.S. citizenship.

DHS is reportedly collaborating with writer and producer Rob Worsoff on a proposed reality television show titled The American, which risks turning a serious and often traumatic process into entertainment. The concept comes as the Trump administration continues to clamp down on asylum access and prepares to implement a sweeping deportation plan targeting millions of undocumented immigrants.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of a sleeping Blake Moore
CSPAN

GOP Rep. Has To Be Woken Up During Roll Call After Pulling An All-Nighter—And Oops

Utah Republican Representative Blake Moore had social media aghast after video showed he had to be woken up by one of his GOP colleagues to vote during a House Ways and Means Committee meeting early Wednesday morning after pulling an all-nighter.

The House Ways and Means Committee worked through the night Tuesday as Republicans pushed forward key elements of President Donald Trump’s plan to extend tax cuts in ongoing budget negotiations. The marathon session extended into the early hours of Wednesday, and just before 5 a.m. ET, cameras caught Moore asleep in his chair as his turn to vote arrived.

Keep ReadingShow less
A mid-shot of a line of people in the park, looking into their cellphones. One phone and hand in particular is clear while the others are blurred.
Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash

Things People Secretly Found On Their Partner's Phone That Changed The Relationship Forever

I've always felt it prudent to heed the warning of some of life's oldest shared pearls of wisdom.

Such as... "Careful, curiosity killed the cat."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @cassidykaschmitter's TikTok video
@cassidykaschmitter/TikTok

Woman Horrified After Surgeon Repeatedly Pretends To Push Her Into Lake On First Date

Let's face it: Dating is supposed to be fun, but it can actually be an emotional, draining, and possibly dangerous experience.

Women, especially now, have to take special precautions in order to date safely.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman in a white lab coat looking into a microscope
woman in white robe sitting on black office rolling chair

Medical Professionals Reveal The Craziest Lab Results They've Seen In A Patient

There is little more stressful than awaiting a lab result from a medical test.

As the results could bring devastating news.

Keep ReadingShow less