Ben and Jerry's calls to dismantle the police and criminal justice system following Daunte Wright's death
Ben and Jerry's called to dismantle the police following Daunte Wright's killing.
Police officer Kim Potter shot and killed the 20-year-old during a traffic stop outside Minneapolis.
"The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy," the ice cream brand tweeted.
Ben and Jerry's is calling to dismantle and rebuild the public safety and criminal justice systems in the wake of the police shooting of Daunte Wright.
"The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities," Ben and Jerry's tweeted from its corporate account. "This system can't be reformed. It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up."
-Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) April 12, 2021
Ben and Jerry's declined to give additional comment.
Police officer Kim Potter shot and killed the 20-year-old at a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, a Minneapolis suburb. The Brooklyn Center police chief said Wright's death was the result of an "accidental discharge," as Potter had claimed to grab for her taser but found her gun instead.
Protests broke out in and around Minneapolis upon Wright's death, leading to the mayor declaring a state of emergency and enforcing a 7 p.m. curfew.
Wright's father Aubrey told ABC News' Robin Roberts he does not believe Potter shot his son by mistake. "I can't accept that - a mistake, that doesn't even sound right," the father said. "This officer has been on the force for 26 years. I can't accept that."
Ben and Jerry's called to defund the police on Juneteenth last year, following nationwide calls for justice after the police killing of George Floyd. The Vermont-based ice cream company posted an Instagram photo illustration of money from the US police budget being scooped into bowls labeled "affordable housing," "education," and "mental health counseling."
The ice cream brand has published articles for years calling to end white supremacy, to get out the vote in local elections, and for better aid undocumented immigrants.
Matthew McCarthy, the CEO of Ben and Jerry's, said each board member has committed to social justice and activism, and the firm works with groups seeking to end climate change and expand racial and gender equality.
"If you have the privilege of leading a business, make your values explicit," McCarthy previously told Insider.
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