Gov. Dayton, Mayor Hodges Meet With NAACP Leaders About Clark Case

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- National and state leaders met Friday afternoon at the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul to talk about the investigation of the shooting of Jamar Clark, and the demands protesters are making.

NAACP President Cornell William Brooks met with Gov. Mark Dayton, Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and other local NAACP leaders to discuss tensions between members of the community and the police.

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"It certainly wasn't a conversation about, you know, 'This is what we demand,'" Mayor Betsy Hodges said.

Hodges said after the meeting that they focused on immediate and long-term solutions for peace.

"It was a 'big picture' conversation about police-community relationships and what we can do moving forward," she said.

NAACP leaders declined to comment as they left the mansion. Brooks is expected to join in on protests outside the 4th Precinct police station in north Minneapolis Friday night – which has been the epicenter of Black Lives Matter demonstrations since Sunday.

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Hodges says she reiterated the work the city is doing to improve community and police relations.

"The governor and I have our hands extended and the door open to talking to whoever wants to come to talk about peaceful resolution at the precinct and long-term, positive police-community relationships," Hodges said.

Dayton also declined to comment, but a spokesperson says he called it a "constrictive meeting."

He also said the NAACP had requested Friday's meeting.

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