Ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s is decrying the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, 20, a Black man, by a police officer in a suburb of Minneapolis and calling for the dismantling of the existing system of policing.
In a tweet on Monday night, the company tweeted, “The murder of [Daunte Wright] is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities.”
“This system can’t be reformed. It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up,” it added.
Wright was pulled over by police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on Sunday for a traffic violation. Officers found out during the encounter that there was a warrant out for his arrest.
As an officer attempted to detain Wright outside of his car, he managed to get back into this car.
A separate officer, who has since been identified as Kim Potter. a 26-year veteran of the police force, was heard on bodycam footage yelling “Taser, Taser, Taser,” before apparently mistakenly firing her handgun fatally striking Wright.
“Holy shit, I just shot him,” she is heard saying.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said at a press briefing on Monday, “This appears to me, from what I viewed and the officers’ reaction and distress immediately after, that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright.”
The shooting of Wright comes amid the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of murdering George Floyd.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) also called for the dismantling of the policing system on Monday.
She tweeted, “It wasn’t an accident. Policing in our country is inherently and intentionally racist. Daunte Wright was met with aggression [and] violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder.”
“No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can’t be reformed,” the lawmaker added.
It wasn't an accident. Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) April 12, 2021
Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder.
No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can't be reformed.
In December 2020 tweet, Ben & Jerry’s announced teamed up with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to create a vegan “frozen desert” named “Change the Whirled Non-Dairy.”
“The flavor that’s supporting the fight to dismantle systems of oppression and empower Black and Brown people,” it added.
We’ve teamed up with @Kaepernick7! Introducing Change the Whirled Non-Dairy, the flavor that's supporting the fight to dismantle systems of oppression and empower Black and Brown people. Coming to freezers in 2021! Learn more: https://t.co/7c0Se2vut4 pic.twitter.com/LY90ObEwCj
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) December 10, 2020
The company said its new flavor “honors Colin’s activism in pursuit of racial justice.”