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Police chief resigns, US protesters confront mayor in Australian’s slaying

By AFP
July 23, 2017

CHICAGO: Fallout intensified on Friday from the fatal police shooting of an unarmed Australian woman, as Minneapolis’s police chief resigned, an angry crowd shouted down the mayor, and protesters filled streets for the second day in a row.

Police chief Janee Harteau resigned at the request of the Midwestern US city’s mayor, who herself faced calls to stepped down by an angry crowd that brought her on Friday evening news conference to an abrupt end.

Meanwhile, protesters filled the streets of downtown Minneapolis, demanding - among other things - greater police accountability and reform. Some celebrated news of the police chief’s resignation.

Mayor Betsy Hodges promised to remain in her post, but said she understood the frustration of residents following the police shooting of Justine Damond last Saturday night, which has ignited an international outcry.

The 40-year-old Australian native had moved to the United States to marry her fiance. She called police to report a possible assault near her home and was shot to death by one of two responding officers as she walked up to their police car -- reportedly still in her pajamas.

The police chief faced criticism over her handling of the tragedy. She did not appear before TV cameras until Thursday, saying she had been on vacation at a remote mountain location.

“I’ve lost confidence in the chief’s ability to lead us further. And from the many conversations I’ve had with people around our city, especially this week, it is clear that she has lost the confidence of the people of Minneapolis as well,” Mayor Hodges said in a statement.

In announcing her resignation, Chief Harteau said she wanted to “let a fresh set of leadership eyes see what more can be done” to improve the police department.

Moments later the mayor announced her nomination of Assistant Police Chief Medaria Arradondo as Harteau’s replacement. Arradondo has been the public face of the department during the crisis.

If the moves were meant to quell uproar in the city, they did not appear to work.

In an evening news conference the mayor held to speak further about the changes, an angry group of protesters interrupted her within minutes of taking the podium.

“We’re not buying this,” exclaimed one protester after the mayor left, having been shouted down by the crowd. “This is just a cosmetic change, and we want institutional change.”

The protesters were particularly angry about the lack of body camera footage of the shooting, and complained of a lack of police accountability.

“We don’t want you as the mayor of Minneapolis any more,” another protester said. “You’re ineffective as a leader.”