The mother of a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by Minnesota police this week says it all started when police pulled her son over for having air fresheners hanging from his rearview mirror. How, some might ask, can air fresheners be the basis for a traffic stop? The answer: Minnesota is one of a number of states with laws that prohibit drivers from hanging objects from their rearview mirrors on the grounds that the items could obstruct their view. The laws have led to vehement complaints from civil rights advocates who say police can use them as a pretext for stopping Black motorists.
EXPLAINER: Can officers stop drivers for air fresheners?
By DENISE LAVOIEApril 16, 2021 GMT
FILE - In this April 13, 2021, file photo, demonstrators hang car air fresheners from a perimeter fence outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department to protest the shooting death of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Katie Wright, the mother of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by Minnesota police, says it all started when police pulled her son over for having air fresheners hanging from his rearview mirror. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
FILE - In this April 13, 2021, file photo, demonstrators hang car air fresheners from a perimeter fence outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department to protest the shooting death of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Katie Wright, the mother of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by Minnesota police, says it all started when police pulled her son over for having air fresheners hanging from his
EXPLAINER: Can officers stop drivers for air fresheners?
DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press
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FILE - In this April 13, 2021, file photo, demonstrators hang car air fresheners from a perimeter fence outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department to protest the shooting death of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Katie Wright, the mother of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by Minnesota police, says it all started when police pulled her son over for having air fresheners hanging from his rearview mirror.John Minchillo/AP
The mother of a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by Minnesota police this week says it all started when police pulled her son over for having air fresheners hanging from his rearview mirror.