>> ERIC: IN THE NEXT HOUR, WE'LL CHECK ON THE WILDFIRE IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS AND HEAR ABOUT CLOSURES IN THE WILDERNESS AREA.

WE'LL TALK WITH A LEGAL EXPERT ABOUT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT RULING UPHOLDING THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT.

AND WE'LL HEAR ABOUT ONE OF MANY JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE STATE.

BUT WE START WITH BIG NEWS OUT OF MINNEAPOLIS EARLIER TODAY.

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND WAS IN TOWN TO ANNOUNCE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S FINDING IN THEIR INVESTIGATION OF THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE WAKE OF THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD.

>> GEORGE FLOYD SHOULD BE ALIVE TODAY.

SHORTLY AFTER I WAS SOX IN SWORN IN AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, I ANNOUNCED THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAD OPENED A SEPARATE CIVIL INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE M.P.D., AND THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS ENGAGED IN A PATTERN OR PRACTICE OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL OR UNLAWFUL POLICING.

I'M HERE TODAY TO ANNOUNCE THE FINDINGS OF THAT INVESTIGATION.

I M ALSO ANNOUNCING THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS, AND HE M.P.D.

HAVE AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO NEGOTIATE TOWARDS A CONSENT DECREE.

SPECIFICALLY, WE FOUND THAT M.P.D.

AND THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS ENGAGES IN A PATTERN OR PRACTICE OF: USING EXCESSIVE FORCE, UNLAWFULLY DISCRIMINATING AGAINST BLACK AND NATIVE PEOPLE IN GOARMT ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES, VIETING THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE -- AND DISCRIM DISCRIMINATING AGAINST PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIORAL DISABILITIES AND RESPONDING TO THEM -- WHEN RESPONDING TO THEM IN CRISIS.

>> CATHY: JOINING US WITH MORE ON WHAT THESE FINDINGS AND AN ADDITIONAL CONSENT DECREE MAY MEAN FOR POLICING IN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS IS YOHURU WILLIAMS.

HE'S A HISTORIAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL'S RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE, AND ONE OF HIS AREAS OF EXPERTISE IS THE HISTORY OF POLICING.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, PROFESSOR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WELL, FORGOT YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, FOLKS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN MINNEAPOLIS HAVE TALKING ABOUT THIS.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR YEARS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING.

YOU KNOW?

SO NO SURPRISES HERE FOR YOU?

>> NO SURPRISES AT ALL, IN FACT, I THINK IT'S VALIDATION FOR A LOT OF FOLKS IN COMMUNITY WHO HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND YOU HEARD SOME OF THAT TODAY FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IN HINTING AT THE VOLUMINOUS EVIDENCE THEY BE COLLECTED, THE STORIES FROM COMMUNITY ABOUT THESE TYPES OF PRACTICE BY THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE FORCE, IN PARTICULAR.

SO I THINK IT WAS GOOD IN THAT SENSE.

IT JUST VALIDATED WHAT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR YEARS AND REALLY PUT SOME NUMBERS BEHIND THAT IN A WAY THAT IS TANGIBLE AND LEGIBLE FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WOAL.

EXPWHE >> Eric: HE SAID IS FINDING IS AS ARE DEEPLY DISTURBING AND MADE WHAT HAPPENED TO GEORGE FLOYD POSSIBLE.

>> ABSOLUTELY, AND THAT WAS REALLY CHILLING, AND WHAT HE IS INDICATING THIS WAS INEVITABLE.

OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT.

WE CAN GO BACK TO 1975, ARTHUR CUNNINGHAM SAYING THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE HAVE DECLARED WAR ON BLACKS AND INDIANS.

MERRICK GARLAND WAS SPECIFIC IN SAYING THAT GEORGE FLOYD WOULD IS A LIVE.

SO THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THAT DEPARTMENT.

HOPEFULLY THESE TWO CONSENT DECREES WILL WORK IN TANDEM TO CLEAN SOME OF THAT UP.

>> Cathy: HOW MIGHT IT DOVE-TAIL WITH WHAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE ON THE STALE LEFT.

>> THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATION, THE D.O.J.

REPORT WILL FOCUS ON CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING, THE FIRST AND FOURTH AMENDMENTS.

THAT'S WHY THERE WAS SO MUCH REFERENCE TODAY TO -- THE PROBLEM WITH CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING AS OPPOSED TO RACE-BASED POLICING, HOWEVER, IS THAT THAT'S THE FLOOR.

WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE OR EXPECT THAT POLICE WILL ABIDE BY THE U.S. CONSTITUTION IN ENGAGING THE PUBLIC.

BUT YOU CAN HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING AND STILL HAVE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.

IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROCEDURAL DO YOU KNOWS AND SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS.

SO WHETHER OFFICERS ARE CONDUCTING STOPS CORRECTLY IS ONE THING.

WHETHER THEY ARE TARGETING A SPECIFIC COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF RACE IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ENTIRELY.

WE ACTUALLY NEED BOTH OF THESE IN ORDER TO HAVE REAL CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY.

>> Eric: YOU HAVE STUDIES THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT'S CULTURE OVER TIME.

WHERE DO YOU START TO UNWEAVE THAT?

>> WELL, THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE WITH THESE ADDITIONAL 28 THINGS THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED, IT REALLY GIVES YOU SOME TANGIBLE THINGS THAT THEY CAN WORK ON WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

WE KNOW THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS, FOR EXAMPLE, TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING, BUT HUMAN TRAINING.

IT HAS TO BE IN PERSON.

IT HAS TO REALLY BE INVOLVED WITH THIS HUMAN ELEMENT THAT POLICING HAS TO INVOLVE.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ECHOS SOME OF THAT.

AND SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG PROCESS.

BUT A PROCESS THAT WILL REALLY GET AT THE HUMAN LEMENT OF WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF THIS.

DO WE WANT GOOD APPLICATIONING OR DO WE WANT PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC SAFETY IS MUCH MORE EXPANSIVE THAN JUST POLICING.

IT'S ABOUT A COMMUNITY RESPONSE.

THAT'S WHY THAT FOURTH POINT THAT MERRICK GARLAND RAISED TODAY, ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF PEOPLE DEALING WITH BEHAVIORAL DISABILITIES IS ALSO IMPORTANT.

THIS IS VERY COMPREHENSIVE AND AGAIN, A POET YENTD ONE-TWO PUNCH THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF RIGHTS AND THE D.O.J.

NOW.

>> Cathy: MAYOR JACOB FREY SAID THIS MARKS A NEW CHAPTER.

WHAT HAS PAST HISTORY SAID, THOUGH, ABOUT ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE?

>> PAST HISTORY WOULD LEAD US TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE OPTIMISTIC.

HOWEVER, WHAT'S DIFFERENT N THIS MOMENT IS THAT WE HAVE TWO CONSENT DECREES.

THIS IS LIS TOMORROWIC, NOT JUST FOR THE STIFF OF MINNEAPOLIS.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE NATION'S ISTORY THAT YOU HAD HAD TWO CONSENT DECREES.

ALSO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, AND SOME CREDIT NEEDS TO GO TO THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THIS, I DON'T THINK, AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN HISTORICALLY, CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING INVESTIGATIONS FOCUSED SO SQUARELY ON THE ISSUE OF RACE AS WE DID IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.

SO THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE BOTH THE D.O.J.

AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS HIGHLIGHTING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IS CRITICAL.

>> Cathy: HOWEVER, I'M WONDERING, YES, THAT'S -- THIS IS HOW IT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND.

BUT THEY STILL NEED TO NEGOTIATE TOWARD A CONSENT DECREE.

ACCORDING TO THE NEWS BIELT.

NEWS BITE.

THAT COULD GET KIND OF MESSY.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY CAN'T COME ONE AN AGREEMENT HERE OR THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE O, IS THAT CORRECT?

>> THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, AND ONCE YOU HAVE THIS IN PLACE, THE CITY CAN'T BACK OUT.

WHAT WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT IN THIS MOMENT AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, CATHY, IS THAT IF THERE IS A LACK OF WILL ON THE PART OF THE POLICE UNION, IF THE STAKEHOLDERS, FOR EXAMPLE, TRY TO FIND WAYS TO RESIST, THIS COULD ELONGATE THIS PROCESS.

WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE EXAMPLE OF OAKLAND UNDER CONSENT DECREE FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS.

SO THIS COULD BE A VERY, VERY LONG PROCESS.

THERE'S SOME THINGS IN PLACE HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS THAT I THINK ARGUE FOR SUCCESS.

THE FACT THAT WE HAVE POLICE CHIEF IN O'HARA WHO FROM NEWARK HAS EXPERIENCE IN KIND OF NEGOTIATING AND NAVIGATING THE CONSENT DECREE, A NEW COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

BUT MERRICK GARLAND SAID TODAY, THIS IS ABOUT COMMUNITY.

WE ALL HAVE TO BE INVESTED IN THIS WORK.

>> Eric: SO GLAD TO HAVE