Minneapolis mayor says footage of officers celebrating hitting protesters ‘galling’

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) called recently released footage of officers celebrating hitting bystanders and protesters “galling” on Thursday.

Frey, who made the remarks during a Facebook video message, said that “the most recent video footage that we saw showing use of force, you know, I think is antithetical to everything that we should be pushing for in our police department.”

Recently released body camera footage taken in late May 2020 and made public on Tuesday appeared to show marking rounds shot at protesters. In the footage an officer can be heard saying “gotcha,” laughing after they hit a protester with a rubber bullet.  

A protester is heard yelling in one video, “We’re unarmed! This is America. We can say what we want.”

Footage from a different officer’s body camera allegedly showed officers criticizing the media, who were out late reporting on protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. Floyd, a Black man, was killed by former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for several minutes until Floyd was unresponsive. 

“[Expletive] these media,” one officer could be heard saying, according to The Star Tribune. The news outlet noted that the footage was connected to Jaleel K. Stallings’s case, who had faced charges for shooting at officers who had first shot at him.

He argued that was defending himself and did not know that he was returning fire at officers. He later was acquitted, the newspaper noted.

Footage also allegedly showed officers kicking and punching Stallings after he had surrendered, according to the news outlet.

Garrett Parten, a spokesperson for the Minneapolis Police Department, declined to comment to the Star Tribune past saying that an internal investigation was being conducted.

The Hill has reached out to the department for comment.

Frey noted in his Facebook video that he could not comment on specific cases or ask for law enforcement to be disciplined, saying that it could jeopardize what happens to the officers. 

“I am not willing to trade accountability and our ability to discipline or terminate officers that deserve it for a political win. People throughout our city are demanding accountability and if I simply take a political win by calling for a termination in one case or another, that person that we all want to see be held accountable can’t be,” Frey said.