" Justine Damond didn' t have to die. Based on the BCA information, this should not have happened, " she said earlier
Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau resigned Friday amid criticism of her response to a string of high-profile police shootings.
Harteau’s resignation came at the request of Mayor Betsy Hodges, who has publicly clashed with the police chief. Hodges said in a statement Friday that she lost confidence in Harteau.
« As far as we have come, 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, » Hodges wrote.
She continued, « For us to continue to transform policing — and community trust in policing — we need new leadership at [Minneapolis Police Department] . »
The resignation follows the July 15 police shooting of Justine Damond, a 40-year-old yoga teacher from Sydney, Australia, in south Minneapolis.
In Harteau’s resignation letter, she said the recent police shootings have caused her « to engage in deep reflection. »
« The recent incidents do not reflect the training and procedures we’ve developed as a department. Despite the [department’s] many accomplishments under my leadership over these years and my love for the city, I have to put the communities we serve first, » Harteau wrote.
She added, « The city of Minneapolis deserves the very best. »
Harteau was on vacation outside the city during the shooting and received criticism for her delayed response. Five days later, she publicly addressed the shooting for the first time.
« Justine didn’t have to die. Based on the [Bureau of Criminal Apprehension] information, this should not have happened. We’re talking about the actions of one individual, » Harteau said Thursday.
Harteau served as the department head during the controversial shooting deaths of Jamar Clark in 2015 and Philando Castile in 2016.
She was involved in open disagreements with Minneapolis Police Union President Bob Kroll, especially as protesters gathered around the police department’s 4th Precinct following the death of Clark. At one point, she told Kroll not to wear his police uniform while giving interviews as the union’s president, CBS Minnesota reports.
