Professional sports in Minneapolis were effectively suspended on Monday following the fatal police shooting of a 20-year-old Black man in the suburb of Brooklyn Center and subsequent outcry. (Reuters)
The MLB’s Minnesota Twins postponed their afternoon game with the Boston Red Sox and were quickly followed by the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves calling off a game against the Nets and the NHL’s Minnesota Wild postponing a match against the St. Louis Blues. (NYT)
The moves came in the wake of protests that erupted overnight after police shot and killed Duante Wright during a traffic stop Sunday in the Minneapolis suburb. The incident happened about 10 minutes away from the courtroom where former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is on trial in the killing of George Floyd last summer. (Deadline)
The Twins said it would not play because “it is in the best interest of our fans, staff, players and community,” adding that the team “extends sympathies to the family of Daunte Wright.” “The decision was made out of respect for the community, following the tragic shooting that occurred in Brooklyn Center, Minn., Sunday afternoon,” the NHL’s statement read. (HuffPost)
In a Monday afternoon news conference, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called for a curfew in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center starting at 7 p.m. (Fox 9)