The Justice Department is launching a civil investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department to determine whether the police department has a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday.

The investigation will assess whether the department "engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests," and will "assess whether the MPD engages in discriminatory conduct, and whether its treatment of those with behavioral health disabilities is unlawful," Garland said. "It will include a comprehensive review of the Minneapolis Police Department's policies, training, supervision, and use of force investigations."

"Accountability is an essential part of building trust with the community," Garland said. "Public safety requires public trust."

"Justice is sometimes slow, sometimes elusive and sometimes never comes," he said. "The Department of Justice will be unwavering in its pursuit of equal justice."

In a statement Thursday night, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo reacted to the verdict reached in the Derek Chauvin trial, which found one of the department's former officers guilty in the murder of George Floyd.

"I want to acknowledge and thank the jurors on this case for their immense responsibility and honorable civic duty," he said. "The verdict has been read and I respect the process and the decision."

The chief took the moment to thank the members of the force and their families.

"The past year has been difficult and challenging, yet they have continued to show up and serve our community with the respect and dignity they deserve," he said.

Arradondo asked for "calm, safety and peace in our communities" in the wake of the verdict, and said the department will "strive to do our very best to earn your trust."

The chief was one of the highest-profile witnesses to testify for the prosecution during the trial. He told jurors that Chauvin violated numerous use-of-force and ethics policies in the fatal arrest of Floyd.

In the wake of the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict, several celebrities and athletes took to social media to react.

NBA star LeBron James summed it up in one word: "Accountability."

U.S. Open champ Naomi Osaka, who wore masks with the names of victims of racial injustice and police brutality during the tournament, including Floyd's, said she was "hit with sadness because we are celebrating something that is clear as day."

Oprah Winfrey tweeted a photo of a young Floyd, saying she was "relieved" and "cried tears of joy as each verdict was read."

TV producer Shonda Rhimes said the verdict "does not bring back Mr Floyd. But justice is truth."

Whoopi Goldberg had a similar sentiment. "No one wins," she tweeted. "George Floyd is still gone."

"Black-ish" star Tracee Ellis Ross said she is "weeping with grief and relief for George’s family, his loved ones, and this country."

Model Bella Hadid shared a photo of Floyd with his daughter, saying, "Thank God for justice and accountability today."

Actor George Takei, paraphrasing Martin Luther King Jr., tweeted that "the moral arc of the universe has finally bent toward" justice.

Singer Barbra Streisand thanked the jury and the high schooler, Darnella Frazier, who filmed the viral video of the "horrible act."

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described a city "gripped in grief" in the 11 months since George Floyd died while in police custody, as many residents took to the streets Tuesday to celebrate the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial.

"This is a good day in Minneapolis," Frey said during a press briefing a few hours after the verdict was announced. "But let me be exceedingly clear: This is day one." 

"Justice has been rendered in this case, but we still have a long way to go to achieve true justice in our city and in our country," he said, noting that the city is "piloting new ways of policing" in the wake of George Floyd's death. 

The mayor said he was "relieved" by the verdict, and thanked the jurors and witnesses who testified.

"We all wanted to see justice, we all wanted to make sure that, again, this was day one of the necessary change that we needed to see," Frey said. "And I think we all were nervous that what has happened on so many occasions, through our judicial system, where we wouldn't see that justice would happen." 

The verdict comes as the city is also reeling from the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright while being detained by police last week in Brooklyn Center, a Minneapolis suburb. The shooting sparked widespread protests.

A curfew has not been issued for Tuesday night, "although that certainly remains an option on the table if necessary," Frey said. "That is not the desired approach, but it is an option that will be available."