Daunte Wright's Mother Says Son Killed Over Air Freshener in Car

The mother of Daunte Wright, a Black man who died on Sunday after being shot by a police officer, has spoken out about her son's death.

His family say that Wright, 20, was shot by police after being pulled over for a traffic stop. He then re-entered his car and drove a short distance before crashing the vehicle several blocks away, according to The Star Tribune.

"He called me at about 1:40 [p.m.], said he was getting pulled over by the police," said a woman who identified herself as Wright's mother in Facebook Live video. "He said they pulled him over because he had air fresheners hanging from his rearview mirror."

"My son was 20 years old; he got pulled over for having air fresheners in the car that I just gave him. All he did was have air fresheners in the car and they told him out the car, he got out of the car and his girlfriend said they shot him. He got back in the car and he drove away and crashed. And now he's been dead on the ground since 1.47 [p.m.]."

"No one will tell us anything, no one will talk to us. The VCA just says they are investigating it; I asked them to please take my son off the ground he's been there since 1.47 [p.m.] this afternoon."

Someone else in the video said it was around 6 p.m. at time of recording and Wright still hadn't been moved by police.

A statement from Brooklyn Center Police said officers stopped a driver shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday after determining the man had an outstanding warrant. Police said when they tried to arrest the driver, he got back in the vehicle and drove away. Police said an officer shot the individual before he started driving again. The vehicle crashed several blocks away.

A large crowd of protesters gathered on Sunday night at the Brooklyn Center Police Department were met by officers in riot gear. Although the protests started mainly peacefully, videos on social media showed clashes between activists and police officers, who were seen firing gas and chemical agent at the protesters.

At around 10 p.m. police declared the gathering unlawful and ordered the demonstrators to disperse, but they did not.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on Twitter he was "closely monitoring the situation in Brooklyn Center" and that the state "mourns another life of a Black man taken by law enforcement."

The news comes while the trial of Derek Chauvin takes place, the former police officer charged with the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis last May. Chauvin was caught on video kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, actions Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said "absolutely" violated the department's policies during an arrest.

The killing sent shockwaves around the world, and triggered global Black Lives Protests, rallying against institutional police racism and brutality.

A 64 percent majority of Americans approve of the murder charges that prosecutors filed against Chauvin, with most agreeing that he should be convicted of murdering Floyd, according to a poll released on April 9.