The city of Minneapolis has released body cam footage from both officers involved in the fatal shooting of Thurman Blevins, Jr., a 31-year-old father.
The video starts with Officers Justin Schmidt and Ryan Kelly arriving at the scene to respond to a call about a drunk man shooting in their air. The cruiser stops and one of them says “he’s got a gun.”
When Blevins spots the officers, he takes off running. He appeared to have a bottle of liquor and a handgun in his possession.
"Stop, stop! Put your hands up! I will f**king shoot you!" Schmidt yells.
“Come on man. I didn’t do nothing,” Blevins shouts. “Please don’t shoot me.”
The chase lasted less than a minute before several shots were fired and Blevins dropped to the ground. He was a father of three daughters and stepfather to two boys.
As Blavity previously reported, witnesses’ accounts differ from those of the officers.
“He didn’t have a gun or anything,” Eva Watson, a witness, told the Star Tribune. “He was just sitting there. He got killed for nothing.”
Watson said she heard Blevins yell “don’t shoot!”
Katya Kelly, the sister of Blevins’ girlfriend, also claimed he did not have a gun in his hand. She said he was only carrying the liquor.
The footage was released at the order of Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey because he believes transparency is "a necessity in good governance."
Frey spoke to the press shortly after its release.
"Regardless of how our own life experiences and backgrounds have formed conclusions we draw, let us all recognize one truth: A life was lost and that in and of itself is tragic," Frey said, according to KSTP.
Blevins’ family viewed the footage an hour before it was released to the public. According to family spokesperson Sydnee Brown, Blevins’ cousin, the family will continue to fight.
"Officers Ryan Kelly and Justin Schmidt should be fired without pay and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," Brown said. She also requested privacy so the family could mourn.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced he would not pursue charges against Kelly and Schmidt on Monday. The officers have been on administrative leave since the investigation began.
“When Mr. Blevins fled from the officers with a loaded handgun, refused to follow their commands for him to stop and show his hands and then took the gun out of his pocket and turned toward the officers, Mr. Blevins represented a danger to the lives of Officer Schmidt and Officer Kelly,” Freeman said. “Their decision to use deadly force against Mr. Blevins under those circumstances was authorized by Minn. Stat. § 609.066 and as such there is no basis to issue criminal charges against either officer.”
As Freeman spoke, he was interrupted by protesters, reports WCCO.
“Mike Freeman, you better think long and hard about prosecuting these officers,” Brown said. “We’re not angry. We’re more so disgusted.”
She also said they have 48 hours to press charges or there “will be further consequences.”
Now, check these out:
Mixed Reports Surface After 31-Year-Old Black Man Is Killed By Police
Black People Have Been Forced To Deal With Death For Generations. Enough, Is Enough.
