Thurman Junior Blevins was the 30th person killed by police since 2000 in Minneapolis, and his death again exposed racial tensions in the city.

The family and activists of Blevins have repeatedly decried his death and demand the immediate release of the images filmed by the police. But as a result of the June 23 shooting, those who knew Blevins remembered him best as a motivated young father who strove to serve as a role model.

Rashaun Brown, his cousin, stated that Blevins was the father of three daughters. two stepsons and called him "funny, humble and motivational."

Two weeks ago, 200 people gathered at Faith Deliverance Holiness Church in Minneapolis to remember Blevins. He was the sixth of eight children, according to his obituary. He attended Minneapolis schools and enjoyed listening to music and playing basketball.

"Junior lived his life with an ambitious attitude and strived to learn something new every day," reads one. "He was determined and in the face of adversity, he often declared" I will bounce back. "

Shortly after the shooting, Jerome Peters, a friend of Blevins, slept during the night close to the scene. A street shooting memorial, also spoke well of the man he knew by the nickname Jun – abbreviation of Junior.

"June had the habit of wearing collar shirts all the time, and he was still watching the kids, and watching what they were doing to him, "Peters said.

The court records show that Blevins has had several criminal convictions over the last decade. was convicted in 2010 of being a criminal in possession of a firearm and fleeing the Minneapolis police in 2008 and 2012.

He also pleaded guilty in 2015 to a Fourth-degree assault chief for spitting at a Minneapolis Park police officer. Possession of drugs was rejected on June 8th.

The agents involved in the shooting, Ryan Kelly and Justin Schmidt, are still on paid administrative leave.

Kelly joined the department in 2013 after a brief stint at the Lower Sioux Police Department on the Minnesota-South Dakota border

Schmidt, hired in July 2014, is also employed by Archway Defense, a business security training for law enforcement and the military, as well as businesses and churches. In his biography, Schmidt is described as a military veteran who has been working in defense training since 2007.