The Minnesota Twins baseball team, Wild hockey team, and Timberwolves basketball team announced plans to postpone their Monday games after the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright during a police traffic stop Sunday.
The Twins announced on Monday afternoon its planned game against the Boston Red Sox would be postponed “out of respect” following the shooting, and the Wild announced the team’s game versus the St. Louis Blues would be postponed until May 12 “out of respect to the community following the tragic shooting” of Wright.
Following the Major League Baseball and National Hockey League announcements, the National Basketball Association released a statement announcing the planned match between the Timberwolves and the Brooklyn Nets would be postponed, saying, “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Daunte Wright.”
DAUNTE WRIGHT SHOOTING WAS ‘ACCIDENTAL,’ OFFICER MEANT TO USE TASER, POLICE CHIEF SAYS
“Out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Brooklyn Center, and following the additional details in this evolving situation, the Minnesota Twins have decided it is in the best interests of our fans, staff, players and community to not play today’s game,” the statement from the Twins said.
The #MNTwins issued the following statement regarding the decision to postpone today’s scheduled game against the Red Sox. pic.twitter.com/7U1S2P928j
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 12, 2021
The baseball game was slated for Monday afternoon at 1:10 p.m. local time. As of 1:30 p.m., it had yet to begin. MLB’s webpage also reported Monday the game was postponed.
“The decision was made by the Minnesota Twins after consultation with Major League Baseball, and local and state officials. Information regarding the rescheduling of today’s game, and corresponding ticket details, will be released in the near future. The Minnesota Twins organization extends its sympathies to the family of Daunte Wright,” the statement added.
Wright, a 20-year-old black man, was shot and killed in his vehicle Sunday at a traffic stop after an officer fired an “accidental” discharge with her gun at the victim. Officials believe at this time the officer meant to reach for her Taser, Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said at a press conference Monday.
Gannon said the officer responsible for the incident was placed on administrative leave, and the state has vowed to conduct an investigation. Brooklyn Center officials said Wright was stopped due to an expired registration. A background check conducted during the traffic stop revealed two outstanding warrants, including one for illegal ownership of a firearm.
Protesters massed in crowds of 100 to 200 people Sunday night outside the police department, and authorities said nearly 20 nearby businesses were broken into. Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott imposed a citywide curfew from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Monday morning, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced a curfew would go into effect from 7 p.m. Monday evening to 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, according to KSTP-TV.
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Postponing sports games in the aftermath of controversial shootings is not without precedent. Following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man in Wisconsin, on Aug. 23, 2020, the scheduled game pitting the Twins against the Detroit Tigers was postponed on Aug. 27.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the NBA but did not immediately receive comment.
