Updated May 21, 2025 at 11:02 AM CDT
The Justice Department is backing away from cases against police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, reversing course on the use of consent decrees to help ensure accountability for law enforcement agencies.
The move comes only days before the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota nearly five years ago by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer. Chauvin was captured on video pressing his knee onto Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes as Floyd lay on the pavement face-down and handcuffed. The killing of Floyd, a Black man, incited protests across the country against police brutality and racial injustice.
Chauvin was later convicted on murder and federal civil rights charges.
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, announced the plan to dismiss the lawsuits and retract findings by the Biden Justice Department about alleged constitutional violations by police.
Dhillon told reporters Wednesday the timing of the move had nothing to do with the solemn anniversary of Floyd's death, but rather looming deadlines in court cases.
"Today, we are ending the Biden Civil Rights Division's failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders and police departments with factually unjustified consent decrees," Dhillon said in a written statement.
She said those sweeping deals amounted to "micromanagement" of local police, that would carry a pricetag of potentially millions of dollars in compliance.
The Justice Department said it would also close investigations of police in six other jurisdictions:
• Phoenix, Arizona
• Trenton, New Jersey
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Mount Vernon, New York
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Louisiana State Police
Dhillon said she is confident the vast majority of police officers and departments act in line with the law. But when they fail to do so, DOJ said, it will "take all necessary action" to respond to civil rights and constitutional violations, including criminal prosecutions.
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