Could the City of St. Paul sue Minneapolis, because of their being collateral damage in the damage fueled by unrest after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis? Probably not, just as states and others suing China over the coronavirus won't go anywhere.
Additionally, Alex B. points out that the US Supreme Court has given police officers wide discretion and the ability to evade responsibility for their actions in what is called "qualified immunity" ("The Supreme Court Broke Police Accountability. Now It Has the Chance to Fix It.," Slate).
In this case, pictures are worth 1000+ words
According to the comments on this Minneapolis Star Tribune article, "Buildings damaged in Minneapolis, St. Paul after protests," listing damaged buildings in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and elsewhere in the Minneapolis metropolitan areas, the damage is much worse.
Seen from Hiawatha Avenue, a large fire burns on E. Lake St. during a third night of unrest following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody early in the week. David Joles, Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The Family Dollar Store at Lake Street and 10th Ave. burned early Friday morning May 29, 2020, in Minneapolis, MN. David Joles, Minneapolis Star Tribune.
St. Paul firefighters battled fires at Sports Dome and other businesses near the Midway Center on Friday in St. Paul. Elizabeth Flores, Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Police officer pepper spraying demonstrators, Minneapolis. Mark Vancleave, Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct was set on fire on Thursday night. Carlos Gonzalez, Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune editorializes about failure to plan for dealing with civil unrest:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.startribune.com/failure-of-leadership-added-to-twin-cities-chaos/570880182/
The NYT editorializes against "qualified immunity":
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/opinion/Minneapolis-police-George-Floyd.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/30/minneapolis-protests-george-floyd-outsiders-looting
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/30/policing-in-the-us-is-not-about-enforcing-law-its-about-enforcing-white-supremacy
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/29/how-western-media-would-cover-minneapolis-if-it-happened-another-country/
George Floyd Protests: The Police Don't Change
ReplyDeletehttps://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/05/police-violence-protests-george-floyd.html
Alex Vitale is the author of the _End of Policing_, makes arguments that we've criminalized many social problems, that police, especially as they've taken on the militarized approach, are the wrong respondents, that all the money and training hasn't made much difference, the problem is structural
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/31/the-answer-to-police-violence-is-not-reform-its-defunding-heres-why
Book review from Race & Class
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328314166_Book_Review_The_End_of_Policing_by_Alex_S_Vitale
"George Floyd’s killing has opened the wounds of centuries of American racism"
https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/5/30/21275694/george-floyd-protests-minneapolis-atlanta-new-york-brooklyn-cnn
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-06-04/supreme-court-is-faulted-for-shielding-police-officers-from-excessive-force-claims
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