Daunte Wright protests

The Daunte Wright protests are a series of protests and civil unrest that began in Brooklyn Center, a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, on April 11, 2021. Protests began soon after news spread of the killing of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old biracial Black man, who was fatally shot by police officer Kimberly Potter during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center earlier that day. Wright's death came during a prolonged series of protests and unrest in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area over police brutality and racial injustice, notably due to the killing of George Floyd and the then-ongoing murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer deemed responsible for Floyd's death. Local protests soon spilled over into other nearby locations in the Twin Cities area then to other cities in the United States. 
Protesters demanded justice for Wright's death and made several demands of public officials, including a more severe murder charge for Potter, an independent investigation of the shooting, and enactment of police reform measures. Several nights of civil disorder in Brooklyn Center and adjacent cities resulted in sporadic looting and property damage. Many local protests were held outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Humboldt Avenue. Law enforcement established a heavily fortified barrier area and periodically clashed with demonstrators over several days. Demonstrators made several attempts to overrun the security barrier established around the Brooklyn Center police station during a few nights of tense protests. Law enforcement fired tear gas and non-lethal munitions into the crowds, resulting in controversy. 
Protests over Wright's death intersected with the conclusion of the jury trial of Derek Chauvin on April 19, 2021, in Minneapolis. Large demonstrations were held during jury deliberations that were part of the broader Black Lives Matter movement. Protesters also demanded justice for Wright, that rioting charges be dropped against demonstrators over his death, and that law enforcement discontinue use of tear gas and less-lethal munitions to control crowds.
Background.
Killing of Daunte Wright.
Daunte Wright was an unarmed, 20-year-old biracial Black man, who was fatally shot by Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter during an altercation at a traffic stop on April 11, 2021, on 63 Avenue North in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Police said Potter had meant to use her Taser but accidentally used a handgun.
Brooklyn Center.
Brooklyn Center is a city in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, bordering Minneapolis to the north. It had a population of nearly 31,000 residents by 2021, and it had transformed from a mostly White suburb to one of the most diverse areas in the region over the previous decades with most of the its residents people of color. The city was also one of the poorest in Hennepin County; 15 percent of residents lived below the federal poverty level. In 2019, voters elected Mike Elliot, a Liberian-American, to be the city's first person-of-color mayor. By the time of Wright's death, most of the city's police force were White, and no officers lived within the city's boundaries.
Previous racial injustice protests and unrest.
In 2020 and 2021, the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan region experienced a prolonged period of protests and intermittent unrest over issues of police brutality and racial justice, beginning soon after the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Three nights of riots and looting from May 27 to May 30, 2020, resulted in two deaths, 617 arrests, and upwards of $500 million in property damage to 1,500 locations in the metropolitan region, making it the second-most destructive period of local unrest in United States history, after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. During the unrest, on May 28, 2020, a Minneapolis police station was overrun by demonstrators and set on fire.
Wright's death in Brooklyn Center was approximately from the 38th and Chicago Avenue street intersection in Minneapolis where George Floyd died. Wright's death, and the subsequent protests, occurred as the trial of Derek Chauvinthe police officer who killed Floydwas nearing its conclusion in Minneapolis. According to "The New York Times", the fatal shooting of Wright "injected more frustration and anxiety into the Twin Cities region", heightening local tension and outrage. By early April 2021, state officials had already begun mobilizing law enforcement and National Guard troops, in an effort referred to as "Operation Safety Net", in preparation for a verdict in the Chauvin trial. Officials hoped to avoid a repeat of the civil disorder, violence, and property destruction that the metropolitan region experienced in May and June of 2020 after Floyd's death.
Events.
In Brooklyn Center and Minneapolis–Saint Paul.
Day 1: Sunday, April 11.
On April 11, 2021, at 1:48 p.m., officer Kim Potter with the police department of Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright, a black man, during a traffic stop. Wright had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. As officers attempted to detain him, a struggle ensued and Wright re-entered his vehicle. Officer Potter discharged her firearm, believing she was using her taser gun instead, striking Wright before he drove off. Wright crashed his vehicle several blocks away. Though EMS arrived and attempted to revive him, Wright was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Wright's girlfriend was also a passenger in the car. She sustained non-life threatening injuries from the crash and was transported to the hospital.
As news of the Brooklyn Center incident spread, family members of Wright, neighbors to the car crash, and protesters began gathering at the car crash scene in Brooklyn Center in what was initially a peaceful demonstration to demand justice for Wright. Several protesters came from another rally organized by families of people who had been killed by police, that they had held earlier in the day in nearby Saint Paul, Minnesota. The crowd grew to several hundred people by evening as they demanded more information from police investigators. As tension at the scene rose over the ensuing hours, police in tactical gear arrived, formed a line, and moved in when demonstrators began climbing on police vehicles and throwing bricks. Police fired tear gas into the crowd and a non-lethal round at a demonstrator who held a chunk of concrete.
In nearby Saint Paul, four people were arrested during looting in the afternoon. Liquor stores, cell phone stores, and gas stations along University Avenue, Marshall Avenue, Payne Avenue, Arcade Street and Sherwood Avenue were looted.
At nightfall, demonstrators gathered outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department building on Humboldt Avenue and stood off against a line of police in riot gear. Authorities declared the gathering unlawful and gave orders for the crowd to disperse. After having rocks and other objects thrown at them, police fired used tear gas, flashbangs, and rubber bullets into the crowd, scattering demonstrators. 
Violence and widespread looting occurred at many stores overnight in Brooklyn Center, in Minneapolis, and at other locations in the Twin Cities region. Elsewhere in Brooklyn Center, looting took place at the Shingle Creek Crossing shopping plaza, including at a Walmart store. Brooklyn Center Police reported that at its peak, there were 24 simultaneous looting incidents. In Brooklyn Park, an adjacent city to Brooklyn Center, a gunshot was fired into the glass door of a police station, though no one was injured. Late that night, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott imposed an overnight curfew and the city announced closure of its schools for April 12. State officials began deployment of the Minnesota National Guard to Brooklyn Center and throughout the metropolitan area to provide non-police security. 
About 25–30 people were arrested overnight in Minneapolis by law enforcement. Several Minneapolis businesses were looted on Sunday evening, many of which had been looted during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul in May 2020.
Day 2: Monday, April 12.
The overnight curfew was lifted at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, April 12. Students in Brooklyn Center were ordered to stay home on Monday for fears of further violence. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner report released that day ruled Daunte Wright's death a homicide, and officials identified Kimberly Potter as the officer who shot Wright.
In anticipation of civil unrest following the shooting, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz implemented a curfew in the metropolitan counties Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, and Dakota from 7:00 p.m. on April 12, 2021, to 6:00 a.m. on April 13. Approximately 1,000 members of the Minnesota National Guard were deployed across the Twin Cities to provide a non-police security presence. Several Minnesota professional sports teamsTimberwolves, Twins, and Wild cancelled their scheduled home games for April 12. City officials in Brooklyn Center fired their longtime city manager, which had been a demand of protesters. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey declared a state of emergency and a curfew effective from 7:00 p.m. on April 12 until 6:00 a.m. on April 13. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter declared a state of emergency and a curfew on Monday.
By noon, 50 protesters were facing off with an equal number of National Guard personnel in Brooklyn Center. Authorities erected concrete barricades and chain-link fencing around the city's police station.
In an afternoon press conference in Washington, D.C., President Joe Biden commented on the situation in Brooklyn Center during a meeting with members of congress about his economic agenda. Biden called for an investigation into the killing and said "our prayers are with the family" of Daunte Wright. He added about the unrest, "But, in the meantime, I want to make it clear again: There is absolutely no justification—none—for looting, no justification for violence. Peaceful protest, understandable."
For a second night in a row, a large protest gathered after curfew at the Brooklyn Center police headquarters. The 7 p.m. curfew was ignored by crowds of hundreds, leading to clashes between rioter and police with arrests starting around 9:00 p.m. Some demonstrators threw bottles and bricks and shot fireworks at police officers and National Guard troops. Police deployed gas canisters and flash-bang grenades to disperse the crowd. By 10 p.m. the police had cleared the area around the police station.
Sporadic looting was reported at several Brooklyn Center businesses throughout the night. Fire department crews were able to respond to smoke coming from a Dollar Tree stored that had been looted and set on fire. By 12:30 a.m. on April 13, 40 people had been arrested in Brooklyn Center, according to a report state law enforcement released the next day, and several police officers reported minor injuries from objects thrown at officers.
Day 3: Tuesday, April 13.
The Brooklyn Center city council voted to transfer oversight of the police department from the city manager to the mayor's office, and they dismissed their city manager. Potter fled her home after her address was posted to social media. Local police fortified Potter’s home with fencing and concrete barriers.
Several hundred protesters marched from the Brooklyn Center Police station to an FBI satellite office. Things were peaceful until sundown when police declared an unlawful assembly and shot pepper spray and flash bombs at protesters. A curfew went into effect at 10 p.m. Some demonstrators threw projectiles at police and scaled the fence at the FBI office. Fire would also engulf some dumpsters and a vehicle outside an apartment building near 70th Street and Humboldt Avenue. During the protests, a person was recorded telling police officers to slash the tires of protesters "so they can't drive away" as police were ordering protesters out of a car.
At about 10:30 p.m., an occupied Saint Paul police vehicle that was monitoring retail areas for potential looting was hit by multiple gunshots allegedly fired by a 28-year old man from North Saint Paul who was angry with police over Wright's death. The police officer believed he was being ambushed and drove off to escape.
At around midnight, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot said in a television interview, “We want people to go home. People are still upset, and the goal right now is to try and disperse the crowd and trying to get people to go home.”
Officials from Operation Safety Net said 79 people were arrested on April 13 into the early morning hours of April 14.
Day 4: Wednesday, April 14.
Potter was arrested on April 14 and charged with second-degree manslaughter. Protesters that day, however, demanded that more serious chargers were brought against her. According to Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington, many of the activists groups planning to continue protesting did not want participants to create trouble.
Protesters put up a large, wooden sculpture of a raised fist at the location where Wright died. The sculptured had been displayed previously at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, but was replaced there by a version made of metal.
Hundreds of protesters gathered for the fourth night in a row outside the Brooklyn Center police department building. Most of the crowd was described as peaceful, but some who gathered threw objects at the National Guard members, State Patrol officers, and Hennepin County sheriff's deputies outside the police building. Authorities declared the gathering unlawful and issued dispersal orders before the 10 p.m. curfew went into effect. The situation grew more tense after the curfew time passed and authorities gave several additional dispersal orders. Law enforcement fired marking paint and pepper spray as it grew more unruly.
Twenty-four people were arrested. No looting was reported, according to authorities.
Day 5: Thursday, April 15.
Approximately 1,000 people gathered outside the Brooklyn Center police headquarters on April 14 during the day in peaceful rally that had a festival atmosphere and free food provided by a local non-profit organization. The cities of Brooklyn Park and Champlin declared overnight curfews beginning at 10 p.m. By night, a small portion of the large crowd from earlier remained outside the Brooklyn Center police station. The scene grew more tense when a demonstrator attempted to break down fencing around the police station and some demonstrators threw objects at officers. In contrast to previous nights, law enforcement officers positioned themselves further back from the fencing and adopted a subdued response. No dispersal orders were issued to the crowd and authorities did not fire tear gas or less-lethal munitions.
Day 6: Friday, April 16.
In the morning, Margarita Ortega, a police abolition advocate and candidate for a Minneapolis City Council seat, commented on the property destruction during the unrest that disproportionately affected poorer areas in the city. In a message posted to the Facebook website that was directed to those setting buildings on fire, she said "Lake of the Isles has more then [sic] needed and won’t be missed”.
During the day, members of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation held a press conference outside Brooklyn Center High School to "stand up for what's right...beyond just contracts". At least 50 members of the Minnesota National Guard were asked to leave the Saint Paul Labor Center by members of the Communications Workers of America Minneapolis Local 7250, which prompted criticism from some state legislators and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
That evening, U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright issued a two-week long restraining order saying that police could not arrest journalists covering the protests, use force or chemical agents against them, or seize their camera equipment or press passes.
Brooklyn Center officials declined to issue a curfew for Friday night. A crowd that reached a size of approximately 1,000 people again gathered outside the fenced-off Brooklyn Center police headquarters in a festival-like atmosphere. The situation changed after 9 p.m. when a crowd of approximately 200 people remained gathered outside the fences. In a speech to the crowd, former professional basketball player Royce White said, "The fence represents tyranny. The fence is a smack in the face. The fence is spitting on Daunte Wright's face.… We have the numbers. We should continue to push."
Several demonstrators threw objects at law enforcement and advanced on the fences while other protesters pleaded with them to stop. A line of protesters shielded themselves with umbrellas. Some demonstrators that attempted to breach the fencing were armed with baseball bats, hockey equipment, and objects they used as projectiles. Law enforcement authorities announced a declaration that the assembly was unlawful at about 9:55 p.m.. They later deployed flash-bangs and then advanced on the crowd at approximately 10:05 p.m. At 10:40 p.m., Brooklyn Center officials issued a curfew for 11 p.m.
Law enforcement ushered journalists through checkpoints to verify credentials before releasing them. One photojournalist alleged he was punched and pepper-sprayed by a law enforcement officer. That night, police arrested 136 people, 52 people were arrested and booked for probable cause riot charges.
Law enforcement officials remarked that the rally had been peaceful until the last few minutes of it, and expressed disappointment that their strategy to deescalate was unsuccessful Friday, when Thursday had been relatively calm. Minnesota’s public safety commissioner, John Harrington, said about the law enforcement response at a press conference just after midnight, "Tearing down a fence, coming armed to a protest, is not in my mind befitting a peaceful protest. It is not befitting groups that are there to recognize the tragedy that is the loss of Daunte Wright.”
Day 7: Saturday, April 17.
Brooklyn Center and Champlin issued an 11 p.m. curfew for April 17 ahead of planned protests for the day. Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot called for law enforcement to use more restraint by not firing munitions or tear gas into the crowd and by not kettling those who protest peacefully. Twenty-five media organizations sent a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz denouncing law enforcement tactics perceived as intimidation and violence towards media members. Walz and state officials met with media members on April 14, and pledged to abide by the federal judge's order regarding journalists.
A protest group gathered in Saint Paul to demand that Potter, the officer who shot Wright, be charged with a more serious crime. After learning of the charging official’s residential address, the protest group formed a caravan and travelled to Stillwater, Minnesota, in the afternoon. An approximately 100-person rally led by local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong took place outside the home of Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, the official who brought manslaughter charges against Potter. Protesters also marched the streets of the neighborhood. Orput spoke with the group at one point during the protest rally to explain his rationale for the charging decision, but protesters said they would continue to pressure Orput on the matter.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Brooklyn Center police headquarters, for the seventh consecutive night of protests. The crowd reached 300 people at is largest point. Minnesota Freedom Fighters, a group of volunteers that sought to keep demonstrations peaceful, removed a group of people from the crowd that attempted to cut the fences that surrounded the police station. Jesse Jackson, a national civil rights leader, attended part of the rally. Protesters affixed a large sign to the protective fencing around the building that read, "Stop state terror". 
Later that night, U.S. Representative Maxine Waters of California attended the rally outside the police station, which by then had an estimated crowd of about 150 people. In an exchange with news reporters who were at the rally, Waters commented on the protests and the looming verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. She said, "I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty. And if we don't, we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business." 
In response to a question from a report about the curfew in effect in Brooklyn Center, Waters said, "I don't think anything about curfew ... I don't know what 'curfew' means. Curfew means that 'I want to you all to stop talking, I want you to stop meeting, I want you to stop gathering.' I don't agree with that." 
The protests in Brooklyn Center, which had been peaceful throughout the night, grew raucous as the curfew time went into effect, but the size of the crowd shrunk shortly after. Late into the night demonstrators did not make any other attempts to breach the fencing and there were no dispersal orders or arrests in Brooklyn Center by midnight. 
One person was arrested by the Minneapolis Police Department Saturday night in connection to demonstrations.
Day 8: Sunday, April 18.
At approximately 4:20 a.m. on April 18 in the Jordan neighborhood of Minneapolis, several gun shots were fired from a passing SUV at National Guard troops stationed near Penn and Broadway avenues. The troops were there to provide neighborhood security following the killing of Daunte Wright. The troops had been activated as part of the Derek Chauvin trial and demonstrations over Wright's death. One bullet went through the windshield of a military vehicle that held four soldiers, though none were hit by a bullet. One soldier was transported to a hospital for injuries from shattered glass, and another was treated at the scene for minor wounds.
At about 3 p.m., a White man in his 20s was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police officers in the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville. Police were in pursuit of the man for an alleged string of carjackings and fatally shot him during a standoff on a highway.
In Saint Paul, about 300 people marched through the streets and rallied outside the governor's mansion in a peaceful event that featured speeches, chants, and prayers. The crowd learned of the police shooting in Burnsville as they were taking a knee during a moment of silence. Few details about the incident were known at the time. Some in the crowd planned to travel to Burnsville, but organizers of the Saint Paul rally encouraged people to travel instead to Brooklyn Center. The crowd in Saint Paul dispersed by the late afternoon. 
Protesters gathered for an eighth-straight day outside the Brooklyn Center police station. A coalition of women's organizations that gathered there called for Potter to face a more serious murder charge and for officials to end Operation Safety Net, a law enforcement initiative set up to maintain order during protests. By the late afternoon, city officials announced an overnight curfew from 11 p.m. Sunday, April 18 to 6 a.m. Monday, April 19. A small, peaceful crowd of approximately 40 people gathered outside the Brooklyn Center police station that night.
Operation Safety Net officials reported that no arrests were made on April 18.
Day 9: Monday, April 19.
At 1:10 a.m. fire department crews in Brooklyn Park responded to a fire at a strip mall. Authorities investigated it as a suspected arson. Five businesses had their storefronts doors smashed in, three of which suffered fire damage.
Federal authorities announced the arrest of two people by Minneapolis police in connection to the shots fired at National Guard troops on April 18.
Students at 118 schools throughout the state of Minnesota staged a walkout-style student protest on April 19 to coincide with the 1:47 p.m. time Daunte Wright was pulled over by police on April 11. The event was organized by Minnesota Teen Activists and coordinated on the Instagram social media website. Students used the opportunity to speak out about racism and discrimination in schools. A crowd of 250 students gathered in downtown Minneapolis outside U.S. Bank Stadium. Minneapolis public school officials said that students who protest peacefully would not be disciplined for missing class.
The trial of Derek Chauvin concluded in Minneapolis just after 5 p.m. and the jury began deliberations. Twenty activist groups coordinated a large demonstration and march through the streets in Minneapolis near the Hennepin County Government Center building where the trial of Derek Chauvin was held. Protesters made several demands: lengthy sentences for the officers they deemed responsible for George Floyd's death, police reform legislation in Minnesota, to have charged dropped against demonstrators in Brooklyn Center and at other recent events, and for officials to end Operation Safety Net and other counter-protest measures. Protesters and law enforcement authorities did not engage with one another and the event was peaceful.
A protest group of about 40-50 people gathered outside the Brooklyn Center police station that evening.
Brooklyn Center officials set an overnight curfew beginning at 11 p.m.
Day 10: Tuesday, April 20.
April 20: Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd at a courthouse inside the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. Thousands of people marched in downtown Minneapolis and others gathered at the city's 38th and Chicago street intersection in elation over the outcome, and they also called for reforms to policing and justice for Daunte Wright and other Black men killed by police. Officials in Brooklyn Center enacted an overnight curfew.
Notable events after April 20.
April 22: Daunte Wright's funeral was held in Minneapolis. Though the past several nights had been peaceful, Brooklyn Center officials declared an overnight curfew.
April 26: A protest outside the home of Washington County attorney Peter Orput in Stillwater, Minnesota, resulted in a confrontation between demonstrators and neighborhoods that directed racial slurs at the group gathered in the street. The group was pressing Orput to file murder charges against Potter.
May 2: Several hundred demonstrators, including members of Wright's family, marched from the location where he died to the Brooklyn Center police station to mark the three-week anniversary of his death. The procession briefly blocked traffic at several intersections and eventually rallied outside the police station that was still surrounded by fencing and concrete barriers. Demonstrators spelled out Daunte Wright's name on the fence with air fresheners. Protesters disputed conclusions by officials that Potter's firing on Wright was accidental. Officials had charged Potter with second-degree manslaughter, but protesters wanted her to face charges for intentional murder.
Nightly protests took take place outside the Brooklyn Center police station though early May 2021.
Elsewhere in the United States.
Protests over Wright's death spread across the United States by April 12, 2021.
Response.
Protester demands and symbols.
Protesters demanded that Brooklyn Center officials fire Tim Gannon, the police chief, and the appointed city manager. The Brooklyn Center city council voted on April 12 to remove the city manager; Council Member Kris Lawrence-Anderson said her vote was out of fear for damage to her property and possible retaliation by protesters. Gannon, along with Potter, resigned their police department positions on April 13.
Protesters objected to review of the shooting of Wright by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the standard protocol in the state for officer-involved deaths, and preferred that there be an independent investigation. Though Potter was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter on April 14, protesters demanded that more serious charges be brought against her. They compared her case to that of Mohamed Noor, the Minneapolis police officer who shot Justine Damond in 2017, who was charged and later convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Protesters called upon the Governor of Minnesota and state legislature to enact several police form measures, and they called upon officials to end the practice of qualified immunity as they believed it made it difficult to bring civil suits against individual police officers.
Car air fresheners become a symbol in protests over Wright's death. Protesters carried air fresheners at demonstrations and hung them on fencing surrounding the Brooklyn Center police headquarters building. Though Wright was stopped for having expired vehicle tabs, according to the Brooklyn Center police, comments by Wright's mother that he was pulled over for having an air freshener hanging from the car review view mirror generated discussion by civil rights advocates about how minor infractions result in racial profiling by police when conducting traffic stops.
Protesters objected to the military presence that had been activated as a response to the events in Brooklyn Center. The chant, "Go home", was a frequently directed toward deployed National Guard soldiers.
Law enforcement tactics.
The protests and unrest over Wright's death came during trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who had been charged with several murder counts related to George Floyd's death the previous May. Local officials had proactively mobilized several law enforcement agencies and the Minnesota National Guard in an effort referred to as Operation Safety Net, to prepare for potential unrest during Chauvin's trial or as a result of it. Nearly 3,000 National Guard troops and 1,100 law enforcement officers were mobilized to prevent violence and property destruction, and officials redirected deployed troops and officers to respond to the Brooklyn Center protests and unrest.
Law enforcement fired tear gas and non-lethal munitions as some demonstrators attempted to overrun the Brooklyn Center police station. Local agencies and officials, however, disagreed over tactics to manage unruly crowds. The Hennepin County Sherriff's Office led the defense operation around the Brooklyn Center police building. Brooklyn Center elected officials objected to the use of tear gas and aggressive crowd control tactics. In neighboring Minneapolis, the city council voted 11-1 on April 16, 2021, to oppose the use of non-lethal munitions and tear gas as a response to civil disorder, but the resolution had no effect as the city's mayor had operation control of the city's police department.
Several journalist objected to how law enforcement restricted their ability to observe and report on the events in Brooklyn Center during the protests and unrest. U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright on April 16, 2021, issued a temporary restraining order that prevented state officials from arresting or threating to arrest journalist, from using physical force and firing munitions at them, and that dispersal orders did not apply to journalists.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said during the Brooklyn Center protests that he was "deeply concerned" over the use of tear gas and its affect on protesters and residents. Walz also defended the deployment of National Guard troops and state law enforcement to Brooklyn Center. He said, "What do you think would have happened Sunday night or Monday night, especially if there not been a fence there and had there been no one there. I've learned from the past that building would have been burned down, and my fear was that surrounding apartments would have burned, too."
On April 11, local officials arrested four people in Saint Paul and between 25 to 30 in Minneapolis. Officials with Operation Safety Net officials reported 272 arrests from April 12 to April 21.
Attacks on law enforcement.
Some demonstrators threw bricks, glass bottles, and other objects and discharged fireworks at law enforcement authorities. The glass-door entrance to the Brooklyn Park police station was hit by a gunshot on April 11. A Saint Paul officer was fired upon while patrolling for potential looting or burglaries on April 13. A National Guard vehicle in Minneapolis was hit by gunshots fired from a passing vehicle on April 18. Several attempts were made to breach the chain-link fence perimeter set up around the Brooklyn Center police station. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, there were more than "100 documented cases of troopers being struck by objects thrown by protesters, exposure to bear spray used by protesters, or being spat on". 
Minnesota Freedom Fighter volunteers.
During several of the demonstrations, a group of volunteers with the local organization Minnesota Freedom Fighters patrolled the crowd and attempted to deescalate conflict. The group formed in 2020 during the unrest in the aftermath of George Floyd's death when outside agitators harassed residents in late May and early June of that year. Some volunteers wore yellow vests to distinguish themselves at Daunte Wright protest events, while others wore body armor and dark clothing to move undetected in the crowd. The volunteers used passive tactics, such as standing between lines of demonstrator who wielded umbrellas, to form an addition perimeter to the security fencing outside the Brooklyn Center police station. Their stated goal was to keep events peaceful and prevent law enforcement form using aggressive crowd control tactics, such as firing munitions on demonstrators.
Residents and businesses.
Several families that lived in apartments near the Brooklyn Center police station left their residences to avoid the nightly protests. Some residents stayed behind to guard apartment buildings. Neighbors of Kim Potter, who had her house fortified with fencing during the protests and unrest, left their homes. According to a spokesperson for the city of Champlin, officials spent $9,236 on physical security to protect Potter's house.
Businesses boarded up during the unrest in response to damage and to dissuade looting. Though several small business owners said they understood the social dynamics for why frustrations were high after Wright's death, they preferred that police increased patrols to protect businesses and property. Volunteers helped clean up damage to stores and property.
Community groups in Brooklyn Center organized food drives and donation drop-offs to help people affected by temporary closures of grocery stores and other businesses.
Aftermath.
Maxine Waters and the Chauvin trial.
Representative Maxine Waters' comments at a protest rally in Brooklyn Center on April 17, 2021, drew criticism for heightening tension and were denounced by conservative media and Republican politicians. On April 19, 2021, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's attorney unsuccessfully argued in court that comments made by Representative Waters during a Brooklyn Center protest should result in a mistrial. Judge Peter Cahill denied the motion by Chauvin's defense, but said it might be potential grounds for appeal of the case later if Chauvin was to be convicted. Chauvin was found guilty of murdering Floyd on April 20, 2021.
Charges for shooting at authorities.
Saint Paul police.
A 24-year old man from North Saint Paul was charged with attempted murder for firing gunshots at an occupied Saint Paul police vehicle on April 13. The man allegedly posted to the Facebook website that after seeing the video of Wright's death he was going to "start shooting". Several bullets allegedly fired by the man on April 13 struck the cab area of the police vehicle, but the officer inside was not injured.
Minnesota National Guard.
The United States District Attorney's Office for Minnesota announced charges in connection to the drive-by shooting of Minnesota National Guard troops who were mobilized as a result of demonstrations over Wright's death and stationed in Minneapolis on April 18, 2021, to provide neighborhood security. Two soldiers had non-life threatening injuries from glass that shattered when a bullet went through their vehicle's window. A 28-year old man from Chicago and a juvenile passenger were stopped by Minneapolis police while driving a vehicle that matched a description from the April 18 shooting. The 28-year old man was charged by federal authorities with felony possession of a firearm. Hennepin County officials charged the man with first-degree and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and illegal weapons possession.
Property damage.
Thirty-five business in Brooklyn Center were damaged April 11 and 12 and the fire department responded to one fire. Five business at a strip mall in Brooklyn Park were broken into and three were set on fire during the overnight hours of April 18 to 19. Several businesses damaged by fires and looting during the April 2021 unrest were Black-owned establishments. 
As many as 15 retail pharmacies in the metropolitan region temporarily closed during the unrest. Authorities believed that they were targeted by opportunistic thieves seeking controlled substances they could sell, such as opiates, stimulates, and other drugs. By April 13, at least eight bank branches had been damaged during the unrest. Minneapolis officials said on April 15, 2021, that approximately 140 business had been burglarized across the city in an opportunistic crime spree over the prior days. Property crimes in the city affected several businesses run by immigrants and people of color. 
Many of the businesses affected by burglaries and looting in April 2021, were the same businesses affected by unrest during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul in May 2020.
Public health impact.
Protests over Wright's death came during the COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota. Many protesters wore protective face masks. State health officials reported that by April 30, 2021, there had 22 confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 among protesters and police who were at demonstrations.
The use of chemical agents for crowd control resulted in concerns about short- and long-term health effects for those exposed. Residents near the Brooklyn Center police station, who were caught in the crossfire between demonstrators and law enforcement authorities, complained of having tear gas make its way into their apartments. Some of the affected residents sought rental assistance from the city to move and mental health support for their children who were exposed to the clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement.
Further reading.
Arrangement is chronological.