Brooklyn Center City Manager Curt Boganey was fired Monday night, hours after he publicly disagreed with Mayor Mike Elliott’s claim that the police officer who fatally shot a black man in the Minneapolis suburb should be immediately fired in response to the incident.
“Effective immediately, our city administrator has been relieved of his duties, and the deputy city administrator will take over his duties in the future,” Elliott wrote on Twitter“I will continue to do my utmost to ensure good leadership at all levels of our city government.”
Daunte Wright, 20, was fatally shot during a traffic stop. Bodycam footage showed three officers gathered near a stopped car that police said had been detained for an expired registration. Police tried to arrest the man, later identified as Wright, on an outstanding warrant. A battle ensued, followed by the deadly shooting.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said the officer who shot and killed Wright intended to fire a Taser, not their service weapon. Authorities have not disclosed the name of the female officer involved in the shooting.
Brooklyn Center City Council voted to fire Boganey, a longtime city worker, at an emergency meeting, the Star Tribune reported. At the same meeting, the council voted to give the mayor command of the city’s police force.
At a virtual workshop after the rally, Councilman Kris Lawrence-Anderson said she voted to fire Boganey for fear of possible reprisals from protesters if she didn’t, the paper said.
“He did a great job. I respect him deeply, ”said Lawrence-Anderson. “I didn’t want any repercussions on a personal level.”
Both Elliott and Boganey discussed possible disciplinary action against the officer at a press conference earlier in the day. At the time, Elliott called for the officer to be fired.
“Let me be very clear – my position is that we cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of the lives of other people in our profession,” said Elliott. “I fully support the dismissal of the officer from her duties.”
Before leaving the stage, Elliott noted that, as city manager, Boganey had the authority to determine whether the officer would be fired. Boganey noted that he would not take immediate action to remove the officer.
“All employees working for the City of Brooklyn Center are entitled to a fair trial with regard to discipline,” said Boganey. “This employee is getting a fair trial and that’s really all I can say today.”
When asked if he personally felt the officer should be fired, Boganey again called for a fair trial.
“Answering that question would contradict what I just said – that is, all employees have the right to a fair trial and discipline will be established after that trial,” Boganey said. “If I were to say anything else, I would actually contradict the idea of a fair trial.”
This is a groundbreaking story. Check back regularly for updates.