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No charges should be laid against police officers involved in a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, according to a statement from the county attorney.
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According to the statement, Thurman Blevins reportedly ignored several orders to show his hands, took a gun out of his pocket and turned to the officers in the June incident.
"Mr. Blevins posed a danger to the lives of the" officers ", which made the shootings" authorized "under state law, said Hennepin County Attorney, Mike Freeman, in a statement.
A longer statement issued by the county attorney's office stated that testimonies, body images and forensic tests proved that Blevins had a weapon in his hand.
The two officers fired a total of 14 rounds, four of which hit Blevins, according to the authorities.
Protesters interrupted a press conference that Freeman held this morning by announcing the decision, according to ABC affiliate, KSTP.
Minneapolis police broadcast several videos on Sunday about the rampant hunt that resulted in the deadly murder of a 31-year-old man in an alley while he was fleeing officers.
The video shows the lawsuit that lasted only about a minute, when police officers Justin Schmidt and Ryan Kelly went on the scene until the assassination of Thurman Blevins in a north alley of Minneapolis. Officers responded to the area after a 911 call saying that someone was shooting a gun in the air.
Bodycam images of the two police officers show them going to the spot and immediately jump from the vehicle, one of the officers yelling "He has a gun!"
Schmidt, who was in the passenger seat, can be heard shouting "Drop the f —— gun!" as Blevins immediately runs from the stage. Schmidt repeatedly shouts for Blevins to stop running and drop the gun while Blevins yells back "I did not do anything, bro" and "leave me alone."
AP The officer shouts "Put your hands, I'll … — shoot you!" several times before he finally opens fire and hit Blevins.
When she is slowed down, the video shows that Blevins pulled out a weapon at the waist just before being shot by both agents, but it's unclear whether Blevins fired the weapon .
Family members saw the video for the first time on Sunday, according to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
"Regardless of the facts and circumstances that took place on the afternoon of June 23, and regardless of how our own experiences and origins influence the conclusions we draw from them, let us all recognize one conclusion: a life has been lost and in itself, it's a tragedy, "said Frey at a press conference Sunday during which the images were aired.While the body camera images are now published this is only part of an effort to bring more transparency to these processes, and in the weeks and months to come, we will probably learn more. 39, greater transparency, there will be pain. "
The family, along with the protesters, had been asking for the video to be released since the start of the shooting on June 23. Both agents were placed in paid administrative duties during the investigation.
AP The video is available on the city's website.
Sydnee Brown, Blevins' cousin who served as spokesperson for the family, continued to call Kelly and Schmidt to be charged after seeing the video.
"Agents Ryan Kelly and Justin Schmidt should be fired without pay and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Brown told Minneapolis ABC's KSTP.
Frey was careful to discuss the racial aspect of Blevins, a black man, who was shot by two white officers.
"I have not felt the pain of the inequalities that continue to exist in areas far beyond the police and public safety," he said. "But we must all understand that this pain is felt acutely by people of color.
Frey said that he met the Blevins family and would be ready to do it again.
AP The head of the Minneapolis Police Department, Medaria Arradondo, did not comment on the pictures.
"While Chief Arradondo is currently prohibited by law from practicing data to comment on the details of this case, he will continue to remain engaged, active and listen throughout the community," said the department.
Schmidt's lawyer, Kevin Short, defended the actions of his client, stating in a statement to KSTP: "The video shows that Thurman Blevins once fired at police officers. facts and the video to go out before vilifying the officers. "
Kelly's lawyer did not comment.
The Office of Police Conduct Review, where complaints about officer behavior can be made and reviewed by an independent party, shows that Schmidt and Kelly had three complaints filed against them during their period of service. They were all closed without discipline, and the reasons for the complaints are not made public.
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