Minneapolis To Pay $35 Million To Cops Who Left Force Amid George Floyd Unrest

Minneapolis cops who quit their jobs due to the riots following George Floyd’s death are about to receive $35 million.

Floyd’s death last year ignited a number of violent riots and lootings across the area, with BLM protesters campaigning against police brutality and racial injustice.

Due to the shocking rise in violence, a large number of officers decided to leave the force.

Over 200 ex Minneapolis police officers and firefighters quit their jobs, citing physical injuries or post-traumatic stress, according to Fox News. 

In addition to clashes between officers and rioters, the police’s third precinct was burned to the ground. 23-year-old Branden Michael Wolfe recently received a sentence of 41 months behind bars for his role in the arson, in addition to stealing a number of police items such as handcuffs, a baton, a knife, a pistol magazine, as well as other ammunition.

Attorney Ron Meuser, who represents the former cops, is now working with City Hall on establishing their exact compensation packages, which must also be approved by the council. One of the packages is said to be as much as $250,000, but the average settlement will total around $175,000.

“I think they felt for a long, long time that the community doesn’t want them, doesn’t respect them and doesn’t care about them,” Meuser said.

Amid widespread calls to defund police departments across the country, the compensation package program was criticized by some.

Phillipe Cunningham, a council member, wrote in an email:

“Why are Black lives in north Minneapolis not being prioritised urgently?”

However, Mayor Jacob Frey fired back in his reply, calling out his

“absolute lack of support for adequate police staffing levels [which] have detracted from the essential work at great cost to the city of Minneapolis.”

All this comes after ex-cop Derek Chauvin was found guilty for the killing of Floyd in the summer of 2020, with three of his colleagues facing trial on charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter.

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