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MINNEAPOLIS (KSMP) - The head of the Minneapolis Police Union said Wednesday that Jamar Clark was disarming one of the officers and not wearing handcuffs when he was fatally shot in the head on Sunday.
Lt. Bob Kroll told reporters that “the suspect has a violent history” and “the officers have no discipline on their records.” The union also referenced that the last local officer killed was Aitkin County Sheriff’s Deputy Steven Sandberg, who was disarmed and killed with his own gun.
I guess the bullet trajectory is next if body cams were not available or not used or will not be released.
ST. PAUL, Minn. - In a press conference Tuesday, Governor Dayton expressed concern over the dangers of the Black Lives Matter freeway protest and said he discussed the situation with his staff.
"I am very uncomfortable with the fact it happened. I deeply regret it happened," said Governor Dayton.
Dayton praised the Minnesota State Patrol for showing restraint and giving ample warning to the hundreds of protesters linking arms across 94 to block traffic during the sit-in.
Minnesota State Patrol spokesperson Lt. Tiffani Schweigart said the protest was even more dangerous with low level light conditions, heavy traffic, wet roadways and light rain. She stated the Minnesota State Patrol responded as soon as they knew people were entering the freeway, and some 24 law enforcement agencies helped control protesters.
"In the United States, we have ample opportunity for first amendment rights to be honored and ample space for protesters to occupy space that's safe for them, and the freeway is not one of those options," said Lt. Schweigart.
Lt. Schweigart said the protesters damaged trooper squad cars after throwing rocks and she said one trooper was punched by a protester who fled the scene.
No dash cam video or body camera video were taken of the incident, according to the BCA. Evans said there wasn't a camera in the squad car of the officers on scene.
Police say Clark had been interfering with paramedics who had been called to a birthday party to aid Clark's girlfriend. According to a BCA statement, the responding Minneapolis police officers believed the woman was an assault victim and that Clark was a suspect.
...the pair had been at a party together and got into a fight, friends told Fox 9.
Why a bullet?
MINNEAPOLIS - As night fell over Minneapolis Wednesday, tensions between protesters and police rose to a new peak.
Around 6:30 p.m., protesters began surrounding the precinct, continuing chants, demanding justice in the shooting death of Jamar Clark. Police say protesters began throwing rocks, bricks, and bottles at officers. Police say officers have been hit, but none have needed medical attention. Shortly before 9 p.m., reports began to surface chemical irritants were being deployed, both from officers and protesters.
Article examining history of MPD excessive force/brutality issues and payouts:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics...xt-great-police-brutality-controversy/416418/
"When she was appointed in 2012, Minnesota Monthly asked her about police-brutality issues. She replied:
There are two ways to change behavior: discipline and training. Give officers the skills and tools to do their job, and make sure we’re clear on what’s appropriate. I’ll be asking officers, in every encounter they have, to reflect on how they would want a family member to be treated—what language they’d use, what actions they’d take. That doesn’t mean force shouldn’t be used, but you need to ask, “Is it reasonable?”"
The Minnesota Monthly interview referenced above:
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/January-2013/A-Different-Kind-of-Cop/
The people we dealt with every day were homeless, addicted, victims of sexual or domestic abuse—arresting somebody isn’t going to fix that. We need to figure out why people are on the streets. Not to say we don’t need to make arrests. But officers can work with social services and neighborhoods to help solve the long-term issues.
You start by getting officers out of their cars. We generally walk beats in business districts and everyone else only sees officers on 911 calls, but I want to change that.
We need to tell our story better. We handle some 340,000 calls a year, and only a fraction go wrong—we get it right most of the time. But this goes largely unacknowledged. ...
people need to understand the good things that get done. As a citizen, I want to hear the bad but also the good, so I feel confident that things are being done right.
The professors and the police: How a Minneapolis project may change the way cops everywhere relate to the public
https://www.minnpost.com/politics-p...apolis-project-may-change-way-cops-everywhere
"While she’s glad that Minneapolis was selected for the national initiative, Levy-Pounds does worry about the ability of those conducting it to effectively reach those who are most affected, she said, a job made more difficult because of continued behavior by police that has created hostility and mistrust.
“People feel under siege in their own neighborhoods,” she said. “I get calls all the time about people getting beaten, being arrested for minor offenses. It’s hard to build community trust and confidence when the department isn’t sensitive to what is still going on.”"
Elder said that police are withholding the identity of the woman and details about her condition because “it is tied into the officer incident.”
Levy-Pounds said Thursday that the woman underwent surgery for a broken ankle.
Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds said Thursday they received reports that two female protesters were beaten by police in an alley during Wednesday night's protests.
"They reported that they were in an alley and they were physically beaten by members of the Minneapolis Police," she said. "We have heard that it was on video so we're asking for people to come forward with the video at this time."
"It's hard to tell, are these real guns? Are these rubber bullets? At the end of the day, it shows a militarization of the police force in the city of Minneapolis and it is a response that is completely uncalled for," she said.