Already, more than 200 Minnesota police officers have filed paperwork to leave the force because of what they claim is post-traumatic stress disorder.
But on Thursday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill that would further restrict law enforcement, banning them from using certain choke-holds such as neck restraints, and prohibiting “warrior-style” training.
“It’s almost like a nuclear bomb hit the city, and the people who didn’t perish are standing around,” Officer Rich Walker Sr., a 16-year Minneapolis police veteran and union official, said of the mood within the department.
“I’m still surprised that we’ve got cops showing up to work, to be honest,” he added.
The death of George Floyd while in custody of Minneapolis police shocked the nation and sent ripple effects that have continued to build, including violent race-riots.
Since then, the Gopher State—which is led predominantly by Democrats at every level—has scrambled to react accordingly in an effort to rehabilitate its tarnished image.
The new bill, supported by both Minnesota Democrats and Republicans, is a “critical step towards criminal justice reform,” according to Walz.
“They are meant to strengthen transparency and community oversight,” he added during a press conference on Thursday.
The legislation also would require officers to intercede if another officer is using excessive force or endangering the life of a citizen.
Additionally, it creates a new advisory council for the state board that licenses officers, making it even more difficult to become an officer in the city. And officers will be required to undergo mental health training.
Still, this wasn’t enough for radical leftists who argued that the bill’s reforms were “low hanging fruit” that don’t address the real problems within law enforcement.
“The autism training we thought was an important thing to have … and we also like the fact that it bans fear-based training [which] is something we’ve been working on for quite a long time now,” Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, told CBS News. “But so much of what we wanted was not even given a second glance.”
These regulations will likely accelerate the exodus occurring within the Minneapolis Police Department, said Ronald Meuser Jr., a lawyer representing the officers.
Meuser said that around 20% of the department, which employs around 850 people, could soon be gone, according to the New York Times.
