The city manager for Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, has been fired following his stated support of “due process” for a police officer involved in a fatal shooting of a black man on Sunday.
Mayor Mike Elliott announced on Twitter on Monday evening that Curt Boganey had been “relieved of his duties.” The mayor did not provide any reason for the firing.
“Effective immediately our city manager has been relieved of his duties, and the deputy city manager will be assuming his duties moving forward,” he said. “I will continue to work my hardest to ensure good leadership at all levels of our city government.”
ONE DEAD AND ONE POLICE OFFICER WOUNDED IN TENNESSEE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING
Effective immediately our city manager has been relieved of his duties, and the deputy city manager will be assuming his duties moving forward. I will continue to work my hardest to ensure good leadership at all levels of our city government.
— Mayor Mike Elliott (@mayor_elliott) April 12, 2021
Daunte Wright, 20, was killed during a traffic stop. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said the officer responsible for shooting and killing Wright during a brief struggle meant to fire her Taser but used her handgun instead.
Both Elliott and Boganey participated in a press conference on Monday morning to discuss the shooting in their city as well as the protests that followed. Elliott said he supported firing the officer involved.
“We cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people in our profession,” he said. “And so, I do fully support releasing the officer of her duties.”
Boganey had a different response when asked to comment on the issue.
“All employees working for the city of Brooklyn Center are entitled to due process with respect to discipline,” he said. “This employee will receive due process, and that’s really all that I can say today.”
Brooklyn Center, MN, City Manager Curt Boganey, who has control over police department personnel, received some pushback after these comments:
“All employees … are entitled to due process with respect to discipline.” pic.twitter.com/gAvGYkS0pP
— The Recount (@therecount) April 12, 2021
When the press conference took place, only Boganey had the authority to fire a member of the police department, according to Minnesota’s Fox 9.
A little more an hour before announcing that Boganey had been terminated, Elliott tweeted, “Moments ago the council passed a motion 3-2 to give command authority over our Police Department to my office. At such a tough time, this will streamline things and establish a chain of command and leadership. I appreciate the other councilmembers who voted to approve this motion.”
Moments ago the council passed a motion 3-2 to give command authority over our Police Department to my office. At such a tough time, this will streamline things and establish a chain of command and leadership. I appreciate the other councilmembers who voted to approve this motion pic.twitter.com/qa1cWMurkI
— Mayor Mike Elliott (@mayor_elliott) April 12, 2021
In body camera footage released to the public, an officer can be heard yelling, “Taser, Taser, Taser” in an interaction with Wright.
“Holy s—!” the officer yelled after firing the weapon. “I shot him.”
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After the struggle, the car drove away and crashed into another vehicle a couple blocks away. Wright was pronounced dead at the scene. The Hennepin County medical examiner determined Wright “died of a gunshot wound of the chest and manner of death is homicide.”
Gannon said the incident appeared to be “an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright.”
Wright’s death comes in the middle of the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing George Floyd, another black man, last May.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Boganey via his city email address for comment on his termination. “At this time I have no response. Perhaps I will later,” he said.
