ST PAUL, Minn. — This summer, a task force was formed to address the problem of deadly police encounters in the State of Minnesota.
Tensions have escalated in recent years between police and communities with the deaths of Jamar Clark, Philando Castile and Justine Ruszczyk Damond, all at the hands of police.
The group is overseen by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Commissioner John Harrington, of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The group itself, comprises of 18 people, half are community members, including an uncle of Castile, and the others are people who work in the justice system.
For the past few months, the group has been traveling the state to talk about investigations, prevention, officer wellness and legal implications of deadly officer encounters.
"What I really hope will come out of this is a transparent view so that communities will know what to expect and so that when they have one of these tragedies in their midst they know they can trust the process.," said Harrington, at a press conference in July.
The group is holding a public meeting Thursday night from 6-8:00 p.m. at the Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis. It also added meetings at Bemidji State University on Tuesday, Dec. 17 and at Worthington Senior High School on Thursday, Dec. 19.