The federal consent decree formalizes many policies that the police department put in place when the world’s attention was on Minneapolis after George Floyd’s murder in 2020 that are also in the settlement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

Minneapolis officials reached an agreement with the Department of Justice to make sweeping reforms to address discriminatory policing. The Minneapolis City Council voted 12-0 in favor of the consent decree in a closed-door session after discussing it for nearly seven hours on Monday.

The agreement aims to prevent excessive use of force and racially discriminatory policing and to protect the public's First Amendment rights. An independent monitor will be appointed to assess whether the requirements of the decree are being met and report publicly on the city's progress.

About 4½ years after the police killing of George Floyd triggered state and federal investigations and protests worldwide, Minneapolis officials have reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice outlining sweeping reforms to address discriminatory policing.

The city of Minneapolis has agreed to a series of police reforms after a probe from the Justice Department in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. A court-enforceable agreement known as a consent decree requires Minneapolis to focus on preventing excessive force and to seek immediate medical care for anyone injured during