Popular ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s called for dismantling and defunding the police in a tweet following the death of Daunte Wright.
“The murder of Daunte Wright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities,” the company tweeted.
The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities.
This system can’t be reformed.
It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up.#DefundThePolice
— Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) April 12, 2021
“This system can’t be reformed. It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up. #DefundThePolice.” (RELATED: ‘No More Policing’: Rep. Rashida Tlaib Claims Daunte Wright Shooting Was ‘Government Funded Murder’)
The company also called to defund the police in June, noting the movement “offers the best opportunity in generations to completely transform our model of policing and create stronger, safer communities.”
Daunte Wright, 20, was killed Sunday after 26-year-veteran officer Kim Potter shot him during a traffic stop. Bodycam footage of the incident shows Wright resisting arrest and trying to flee the scene by jumping back into his car. As one officer tries to apprehend Wright while he sits in his car, Potter can be heard threatening to tase him. Potter, however, fired a single shot from her firearm, killing Wright.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon, who resigned Tuesday along with Potter, said he believed Potter accidentally grabbed and used her firearm and not her taser.
Wright was pulled over for expired license plates and police found he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The warrant was related to an aggravated armed robbery attempt, according to Hennepin County District Court documents.
Ben & Jerry’s has been outspoken about social issues before, launching a six-part podcast over the summer to get ice cream eaters to do some “racial reckoning” and address issues of white supremacy in the wake of the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.