Reporters Committee statement on findings of Justice Department investigation into Minneapolis Police Department

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice released the findings of its pattern or practice investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department, launched after MPD officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in 2021 of murdering George Floyd. Among its conclusions, the Department of Justice found that the “MPD violates people’s First Amendment rights,” including those of journalists covering protests.

The report found that MPD officers “regularly retaliate against members of the press — particularly by using force” and “also interfere with newsgathering by unlawfully limiting journalists’ access to public spaces where protests take place, and thus their ability to report on police activity.”

Bruce D. Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, made the following statement:

“The right of journalists to cover protests is core to the First Amendment, as is the underlying right of the people to protest itself. In its report, the Department of Justice found a disturbing pattern of Minneapolis police officers routinely violating those rights.

“Police departments around the country have an obligation to uphold the First Amendment, and must ensure their own practices are in line with the Constitution.”

The Reporters Committee regularly files friend-of-the-court briefs and its attorneys represent journalists and news organizations pro bono in court cases that involve First Amendment freedoms, the newsgathering rights of journalists and access to public information. Stay up-to-date on our work by signing up for our monthly newsletter and following us on Twitter or Instagram.