Ben and Jerry's calls for dismantling of US police system following fatal shooting of Daunte Wright

The British-owned company, which was started in Burlington, Vermont, says fatal Daunte Wright police shooting rooted in white supremacy.

By Brianna Kraemer

Published: April 14, 2021 10:13am

Updated: April 14, 2021 4:52pm

Ice cream company Ben and Jerry's is calling for the dismantling of U.S. police departments after the fatal police shooting Sunday of Daunte Wright in suburban Minneapolis.

"The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities," the company tweeted Tuesday. "This system can’t be reformed. It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up. #DefundThePolice."

The company was founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, and sold in 2000 to British conglomerate Unilever.

The company has taken a liberal-lean stance on other recent issues include LGBT rights and climate change.

The officer who fatally shot Wright can be heard saying in the police body camera video of the incident that she thought she had fired her Taser gun, not her handgun.