** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
Authorities in Minneapolis released body camera video from two police officers in the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man, with the footage showing the man shot from behind after a frenetic foot chase and what appeared to be a gun in his hand. Officers Justin Schmidt and Ryan Kelly were responding to a 911 call of a man firing a gun into the air on the city’s north side June 23. The video released Sunday shows them pulling their cruiser up and a man – Thurman Blevins – seated on a curb near a woman with a child in a stroller. As the officers pull up, one says, “He’s got a gun!†Blevins jumps up and runs, as the officers yell “Stop, stop! Put your hands up! I will (expletive) shoot you!†In a chase that takes less than a minute, Blevins yells back, “I didn’t do nothing bro,†“Please don’t shoot†and “Leave me alone.†An enhanced version of the video has a red circle drawn around Blevins’ hand to highlight what appears to be a gun. After the chase turns down an alley, Blevins is shot, still running. Investigators said both Kelly and Schmidt fired their weapons. An autopsy showed Blevins was shot multiple times. Investigators have said the officers arrived to find Blevins sitting with a woman on a curb before he ran, carrying a black and silver gun. A gun was recovered at the scene.
Some witnesses had disputed Blevins was armed, saying he was carrying a bottle or a cup. He appeared to have something in each hand when he first ran. Sydnee Brown, a cousin of Blevins, told the Star Tribune that the video confirms her belief that he was not a threat to police. “He didn’t deserve to die,†Brown said. “He wasn’t a threat when (the officers) approached him. They didn’t view him as a human being.†The two officers are on paid administrative leave. A protest of Blevins’ death was planned for Tuesday afternoon at the Hennepin County Government Center. Blevins’ death prompted earlier demonstrations and community advocates demanded transparency and urged the swift release of body camera footage. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in June that the body camera video would be released after the Blevins family was consulted and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had finished interviewing key witnesses. Frey said Blevins’ family viewed the video about an hour before it was released publicly. He called Blevins’ death “tragic,†but declined to comment on what the footage showed.
“I know that right now in our city there’s a lot of pain,†he said. “Pain in many cases that I cannot understand.†Blevins’ relatives previously called for both officers to face criminal charges. The city released raw footage from both officers’ cameras, as well as what it called a “stabilized†video that includes footage from both officers produced by the National Center for Audio and Video Forensics in Beverly Hills, California. Officials said that footage had gone through a process to identify pixels from each frame and aligned them to help limit shaking. In Minnesota, investigative data is typically nonpublic until an investigation concludes. But state laws allow for the release of material like body camera footage if it’s deemed a benefit to the public or if it dispels “widespread rumor or unrest.†Blevins’ family and other community members had pushed for the prompt release of the footage, and Frey had pledged to do so as soon as possible. Video from past high-profile police shootings in the state has usually not been released until after long investigations by the BCA. Chief Medaria Arradondo said he could not comment while the investigation is pending.
Schmidt and Kelly have been on leave since the shooting. Kelly has been with the police department since 2013 and Schmidt joined in 2014. Both had served in the military and had been recognized numerous times for their work as police officers, according to redacted personnel files. They also both have had complaints against them: Kelly has had five complaints, all closed without discipline, while Schmidt has had three complaints against him, including two that were closed without discipline and one that remains open. Details about the complaints were not released. Minneapolis has been rocked by two high-profile fatal police shootings in recent years, including the November 2015 shooting of Jamar Clark, 24, and last year’s shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40. Officers in the Clark case were not charged, and trial is pending for the officer who shot Damond.
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** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
These dudes are slow as fuck
How lucky the lady with the baby was. What a POS. Acting like a friendly neighbor. Family protested this 😂. Always after a free ride.
Dude was waiting for his action points to refill before turning to shoot with VATS.
It's musical when they shoot the criminal in the neck. Good shot officers
Dude literally had a fire – arm, justified.
6:15 is that were this term maybe originated? running from the police while proclaiming innocence lol
Lol no wonder that dudes riding shotgun
Why the fuck so many shots?
7:37 "max come here"
And unfortunately 2 years later in the same city, another suspect (this one unarmed) resists arrest and later passes away by a mix of direct overdose & indirectly by a cop using appropriate force to stop the resisting. And I know lots of people are gonna get pissed at me for saying this but I'm gonna say it: Derek should not be in Jail right now for what happened that day.
All the other cops just walk up on him as if to put him in cuffs then are just like oh shit 😳 he dead
1999LAWYERUP. For those "leave me alone" days when you're running from the police.
What's a real blunt?
Cop only shot cos he was tired of running
In my country that cop would be in jail.
So happy I don't live in Murica!
Aww the good old "I didn't do nothing" while running from the cops routine
Que when stop going when 2019 you going when you up stop police are you going estoy chase you officer suspect when you going when you
That dog at 7:36 wanted to make some friends
I love it when protestors identify how stupid they are.
Por qe
6:36 Did he reach for the gun and thats why he was shot?
7:17 Ed from 90 Day Fiance is a cop?
Excellent officer – physically fit, brave and a good shot.
He was using that woman, her child, and a dog as camouflage. Then he got tired of running and decided to shoot at the pursuing officer(s). Bad decision.
Blm…hmmmm!
The second cop should work his cardio.
" I know right now the city is in a lot of pain"
Naw. Only the dipshit who got shot, and that didn't last too long. I'm perfectly fine with it.
the woman, her child, and that dog all seemed to be doing just fine and dandy no sign of aggravation, just the word of a dispatcher which hs many often know can be wrong- kind of like the telephone game or how witnesses get things wrong. Just seeing how all the comments are saying it's extremely justified because he was on probation/parole yet I doubt they found that out until after he was dead or moments before he was dying via being shot in the back. yall appaude a man for shooting someone in the back.
for the life of me i cannot see a gun.
COLD…….. congrts your shot somebody in the back
You can hear blood gurgling 😂
People are protesting this? This guy ain’t exactly Emmett Till
Oh no! White officer said "black male" he must be racist!
Y’all heard him gargle on his blood too right?
Smh was the second cop necessary he shot at him 3to 4time after the first cop shot 4 times at him then he shot at him 3 more times that’s like 11 bullets send at him
Anyone see him drowning in his own blood!! Thats why you should listen to cops and you wont die!
That back cop was like i dont want a new partner for a month while there investigating this shooting so ill shoot some to i want a paid vacation also!! Haaha
Why shoot so many fucking times just shoot once at his leg all it takes don't need to kill a guy no threat only possibility
How the ** can anyone dispute he had a gun. You can see it clearly on the ground by him while hes gurgling on his own blood.
Suspect:"Go away pigs"
Cop: "You know you just hurt my feelings?"
Suspect: "I'm sorry I didn't mean it."
Cop: "No!Your mean"
Other Cops:"Are we just going to ignore the fact that the suspect just got away? "
Cop: "No one cares he's just a meany!"
How on earth can a person say, "I didn't do nothing bro!" when they've been walking around roads with houses on with a gun drawn and get caught red handed by the police doing so?
6:47 goodbye officers
“Leave me alone😩†got his ass SPARKED 🤣🤣🤣
partner/back up officer, shoot because… hell yeaaah I can
6:52 I dont need to be an expert to realize thats a fuckin gun on the ground and not a bottle like his family is sayin
You can hear the criminal waste basket choking to death on blood. Good fucking shot officer!
An dude running with a gun from the police? Others had shoot him after 0,5 sec!
What is it with all these black people who do not think they have to follow any laws at all at any time. Did these idiots ever have caring parents that cared enough to teach them any right from wrong or do they just release them to the streets for everyone else to deal with their criminal minded actions.