Long-standing racial tensions in the United States have frayed increasingly following the high-profile murders of two unarmed black USA nationals a year ago in which separate grand juries declined to pursue indictments against police officers who performed the killings.
Advertisement
While eye witnesses say that Clark was in handcuffs when he was shot by police, the head of the police union says Clark was not handcuffed and had gained control of an officer’s weapon.
Protesters and Clark’s family have urged investigators to release the video of the shooting. But a few people who said they saw the shooting allege Clark was handcuffed.
“Anytime you find someone partially clothed and unconscious you always look at that as a possibility”, Elder said.
Nekima Levy-Pounds said in a statement posted on Facebook that the public should see the video, rather than rely on the perspective of one government official who is not a trained expert.
Dayton said Monday that he watched video recorded by an ambulance that was at the scene of Jamar Clark’s shooting on November 15.
A federal criminal civil rights investigation is also underway to determine whether police intentionally violated Clark’s civil rights through excessive force.
Community members have said they won’t leave the north side police precinct near the shooting site until authorities meet their demands, which include the release of video. The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it has video from the ambulance, a mobile police camera and other sources, but none shows the event in its entirety.
Although protests have been largely peaceful, police have used pepper spray and fired rubber marking bullets at least twice when demonstrations became heated.
Clark’s family, in a statement attributed to his brother Eddie Sutton and issued through U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison’s office, thanked protesters for “the incredible support” they have shown.
Black Lives Matter Minneapolis said in a statement earlier Monday that the group would announce the next steps it had planned at a news conference Tuesday.
The BCA said it’s giving the Clark investigation top priority, even as it warned that such inquiries can take as long as two to four months.
Advertisement
Several people were shot and wounded late on Monday about a block from the precinct where demonstrators have remained for over a week.
