On Sunday, protests erupted in a Minneapolis suburb after police shot and killed a black man. Below is what you need to know about what happened and how you can stand in solidarity with Wright and his family.

On Sunday afternoon, April 11, a police officer in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, shot and killed 20-year-old Dante Wright during a traffic stop. According to the New York Times (opens in new tab), Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon discovered that the officer had stopped Wright for a traffic violation and that Wright had a warrant out for his arrest. When the officer attempted to detain him, Wright returned to his vehicle and the officer shot him. Wright then drove a few more blocks and struck another car, killing him on the spot. The occupants of the other car were not injured, but the passenger in Wright's car was not fatally injured.

On Monday, Gannon said (opens in new tab) that he had seen body camera footage of the shooting but believes it was an "accidental discharge" and that "the officer intended to use his Taser but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single round." In the video, "the officer can be heard yelling 'taser, taser' over and over as he wrestles with Mr. Wright," Gannon said. The Times (opens in new tab) reported that in the video the officer said, "Oh my God. I just shot him." The Minnesota Star Tribune (opens in new tab) said the officer was not identified, but said Gannon was a "very senior officer" and was currently on administrative leave.

Wright's mother, Katie Wright, told reporters that her son called her when he was pulled over (opens in new tab). She said he was pulled over because he had air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. She said she heard a "struggle" and an officer telling Wright not to run before the call ended. When Wright's mother called back, his girlfriend answered and said Wright had been shot.

According to the Star Tribune (opens in new tab), Wright's mother said: "He got out of the car and said his girlfriend had been shot. He got back in the car, drove off, crashed, and now he's been dead on the ground since 1:47. Nobody tells us anything. No one tells us anything. I told them to get my son off the ground," he said. Star Tribune reporter Kim Hyatt tweeted that Wright's mother also released a photo of her son, Dante Jr. who will turn 2 in July (opens in new tab).

Wright's father, Aubrey Wright, told the Post (opens in new tab), "I know my son. He was scared. He still had the heart of a 17-year-old. If he resisted arrest, they could taser him. I don't understand it, he continued. He was a normal kid. He never got into serious trouble; he enjoyed spending time with his two-year-old son. He loved his son."

The shooting occurred just a few miles from the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd in May 2020. Floyd's death sparked months of "Black Lives Matter" protests around the world and prompted more mainstream conversations about the role of police in communities and calls for funding for police departments.

After police shot and killed Wright on Sunday, hundreds of people poured into the streets to protest yet another act of police violence. The Times (open in new tab) reported that in response, police officers outside the Brooklyn Center police station fired rubber bullets and chemicals at the protesters, "some of whom threw rocks, garbage bags and water bottles at police."

Minnesota State Patrol officers and National Guard troops were called in to assist officers at the police station and to crack down on the mayhem. Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott imposed a curfew from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Monday. Chief Gannon asked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which investigated Floyd's death, to investigate the shooting.

Elliott also released a statement (open in new tab) on Sunday, saying: "Our entire community is filled with sadness following today's fatal police shooting of a 20-year-old young man, Dante Wright. Our hearts are with his family and all those in our community affected by this tragedy. While we await additional information from the BCA, which is leading the investigation, we continue to call for members of our community to come together peacefully in our call for transparency and accountability. On Monday (opens in new tab), Elliott said he supports firing the officer who shot Wright. He said, "My position is that our profession cannot afford to make mistakes that result in the loss of other people's lives." He also spoke with President Joe Biden on Monday and offered his support for the administration.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also tweeted on Sunday: "Gwen and I are praying for Dante Wright's family.

According to the Associated Press, Wright's mother said Sunday (open in new tab). Why was my son shot for no reason? I have to try to think about my son, not about destroying a police car.