MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Timberwolves postponed games scheduled for Monday because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man and the potential for unrest in the area.
Major League Baseball’s Twins and Boston Red Sox were scheduled to begin a four-game series Monday afternoon at Target Field. The Twins said their decision was made in consultation with Major League Baseball and state and local officials “out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday.” There was no word yet about rescheduling or the status of games set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The NHL’S Wild were supposed to host the St. Louis Blues on Monday night, a game the team said was postponed “out of respect for the community.” That game was rescheduled for May 12.
The NBA also announced that Monday night’s scheduled game between the Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets was postponed “in light of the tragic events in the Minneapolis area.”
The shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright occurred Sunday after a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, a suburb adjacent to Minneapolis. The death sparked violent protests, with officers in riot gear clashing with demonstrators into Monday morning. The Brooklyn Center police chief said the shooting was accidental, as the officer involved intended to fire a stun gun and not a handgun during a struggle with Wright. Police were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.
The metropolitan area already has been on edge because of the ongoing trial of the first of four police officers charged in George Floyd’s death last May.