Inevitably, the images recall the farewell ceremony for George Floyd. The same city, Minneapolis. The same pastor, Al Sharpton, and the same local elected officials. And above all the same tears and the anger of the families in the face of lives cut down by American police officers. “End the sadness in this city,” implored a man on the stage of the Shiloh Temple church in Minneapolis, before the start of the funeral of Daunte Wright, a young African-American killed on April 11 by a white policewoman during a an ordinary traffic control.
The building may seem modest at first sight from the outside. But behind its gray brick walls is an amphitheater with several hundred seats, all filled, and all facing a large platform. It is there, in a commercial district of this metropolis in the north of the United States, that the funeral of Daunte Wright takes place on Thursday. The ceremony takes place just two days following the verdict was delivered in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white police officer convicted of the murder of George Floyd in the same city last year.
“Raise your voice when there is injustice”
In the packed room, Daunte Wright’s white coffin sits in front of the dais, a huge bouquet of red roses resting on it. Photos and videos of the deceased at different ages in life are projected on either side of the dais. A gospel choir sings to shake the foundations of the church, before a trumpet player makes the whole audience stand up, thanks to a moving solo of several minutes. He is wildly applauded.
Reverend Al Sharpton, a figure in the civil rights struggle, delivered the funeral oration, as he had done for George Floyd, whose family is present in the room. “We have to speak up when he has an injustice,” Al Sharpton thundered during his speech. The Reverend’s organization, the National Action Network, paid for all funeral expenses.
“Justice for Daunte Wright”, declares as soon as he arrives at the desk the lawyer Ben Crump who represents, in addition to the family of Daunte Wright, that of George Floyd and other victims of police violence. “The life of Daunte Wright counts”, resumes the whole assembly at the invitation of the lawyer.
“Shit, I shot him”
The death of Daunte Wright, while the trial of Derek Chauvin was taking place at the same time, had led to several nights of demonstrations in Brooklyn Center, where the drama took place.
Gathered in front of the police station of this city located regarding ten kilometers from Minneapolis, several hundred people had shouted their anger for seven consecutive nights.
Daunte Wright was shot as he tried to get back behind the wheel to get away. According to the authorities, the policewoman confused her service weapon with her taser. In the images, following shouting “Taser, Taser, Taser”, Kim Potter exclaims: “Shit, I shot him. She was charged with manslaughter and released on $100,000 bail.