Police used a chemical irritant to control protesters Wednesday night outside a north Minneapolis police station where demonstrators have gathered since the shooting.
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“The people of Minneapolis are in pain right now and to get the healing we need we’re going to need truth, transparency, and we’re going to need justice both in this instance and that of a larger justice”, said Second Ward council member Cam Gordon.
Black Lives Matter Minneapolis alleged several cases of police abuse, including using mace on a young woman and a WCCO-TV reporter, pointing weapons at several “peaceful protesters” including U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison’s son and making “false claims” that protesters sprayed chemicals irritants at them. NAACP national president Cornell William Brooks said Clark’s death “is one bad chapter in a bad national narrative of police conduct”. “It was the actions and choices of Mr. Clark alone which determined it’s outcome”, said Bruno. None of the videos will be released until the investigation is over.
Ellison, a Minneapolis Democrat who is black, expressed dismay on his Twitter account about a Star Tribune photo showing his son and an officer in riot gear. The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will not release it yet, saying the video collected from several sources does not show the entire incident.
The NAACP is organizing a candlelight vigil and march for Friday evening outside a Minneapolis police station that’s been the scene of protests since the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a police officer.
On Thursday afternoon, dozens of gallons and spray bottles of milk, which is often used to rinse out eyes that have been exposed to pepper spray, were seen throughout the protest site.
Lt. Bob Kroll, the head of the Minneapolis police union, said Thursday that Clark had his hands on an officer’s gun.
Minneapolis Police spokesman John Elder also confirms that a driver was arrested after crashing into the gate that leads into the precinct parking lot where squad cars and personal vehicles are parked.
Police and a spokeswoman for the Hennepin County Medical Center said they could not comment on the man’s condition. “At the end of the day we want the truth”, Ellison said. “While there may be a few bad actors, we must remember that the police have guns and the protesters don’t”.
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Mayor Hodges request for a federal investigation is under review by the Justice Department. Forum News Service and the Pioneer Press are media partners.
