July 12, 2021- 2:20 p.m.
MPD chief asserts police are not the problem after 3-year-old is shot in north Minneapolis.
A three-year-old boy has become at least the fifth child to be struck by gunfire in several weeks in Minneapolis, and the city’s police chief responded with very pointed words.
“The biggest threat to public safety in our city, and particularly to our African-American community, is not the police,” said Chief Medaria Arradondo. “We have an epidemic right now of unequivocal gun violence particularly in our African-American communities. And that must stop.”
Police were called to the address about 9:47 p.m. on a report of a child being shot. Initial police dispatches indicated the child was 10, but information was later updated stating the child was three years old.
The chief said when officers arrived at the location of the shooting, they observed that the child had suffered a critical gunshot wound. Officers made the decision to transport the child to the hospital in a squad car instead of waiting for the ambulance, which was reported to be three or four minutes away.
Chief Arradondo praised the officers for their quick action and said they “made the right choice.” He said had the officers not made the decision to transport, he could very well be reporting the death of another child in Minneapolis.
Police dispatch audio from the incident indicated that police made it to the hospital with the child within about two minutes after they made the decision to transport.
