University of Minnesota severs ties with Minneapolis Police Department over death of George Floyd

LOS ANGELES - The tragic murder of George Floyd last week has sparked protests across the country - the epicenter is Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed one week ago.

The University of Minnesota announced that it's adjusting its relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department.

The announcement was made last Wednesday by school President Joan Gabel in a letter which says it will no longer use local officers to assist at major events, including golden gophers football games.

The person who spearheaded this decision was student body president Jael Kerandi. She spoke with Good Day LA Monday morning about the decision to separate from the department and what is happening on the ground there today.

Kerandi says that long before the unrest, officers from the police department treated African American students in a way not acceptable, specifically citing an on-campus event in 2018, where students were mistreated by the department.

This weekend, she noted a terrible incident in which peaceful protesters were nearly run over by a semi-truck on the I-35W Highway, and she said that although many protesters on the ground in Minneapolis are scared, they are "still committed to justice."

While the students at the University are pleased with the adjustment to the relationship as a first step, Kerandi told Araksya Karapetyan that much more needs to be done.

Kerandi stated that black leaders have had open dialog and have diligently worked to "try and collaborate for years but as you can see from this murder that has not happened."

What is needed, says Kerandi, is action from the elected leaders. She urged students and others to "Remain connected as a community and continue to seek justice, continue to apply pressure to our elected officials and to hold administrations accountable to the promises of the law that we're given."