Uncle of Darnella Frazier (filmed George Floyd's murder) killed when police chase suspect

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.startribune.com/one-dead-in-north-minneapolis-crash-with-squad-car-during-police-chase/600075380/

A driver died early Tuesday in a violent crash involving a Minneapolis police squad car in pursuit of a robbery suspect.

Three vehicles, including the squad, were involved in the wreck, which happened about 12:30 a.m. at 41st and Lyndale avenues north in the Camden neighborhood, said Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder. Police were trying to catch a driver who was in a stolen vehicle believed to have been taken during a carjacking and linked to robberies at multiple businesses, Elder said.

Officers spotted the stolen vehicle near N. 6th Street and Lowry Avenue and attempted a traffic stop. The driver fled. As the pursuing officer going north on Lyndale entered the intersection at 41st, he collided with a westbound vehicle, Elder said.


(snip)

The family of the man killed identified him as Leneal Lamont Frazier. Darnella Frazier, who filmed George Floyd's murder and recently won an honorary Pulitzer, shared Tuesday evening on social media he was her uncle. She questioned why police were involved in a high-speed chase on a residential road. "Another black man lost his life in the hands of the police!" she wrote. "Minneapolis police has cost my whole family a big loss ... today has been a day full of heartbreak and sadness."

[Hugin]

1. Damn.

There are no words.

[hlthe2b]

2. Ohhh. This is cosmic cruelty at play. Soooo sad and horrific.

[intheflow]

14. It's not "cosmic cruelty."

It's pervasive power abuse by racist cops who care more about "playing cop" by chasing "bad guys" (like they see on teevee) than they care about driving safely through Black neighborhoods because in their minds, Black people are not human.

Can't argue with you about how tragic and horrifying this is, though. I feel for that kid. How much trauma should any Black person - and especially a Black young person - have to carry?

[hlthe2b]

15. My point was the irony of her uncle dying, in this way and NOW. Not that it was not

indicative of very bad policing. Cosmic irony.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. Another example why I think high-speed chases need to be outlawed

except in cases where there's a serious belief that the person driving is on their way to commit a violent act.

Unbelievable.

[PTWB]

6. I tend to agree that high speed pursuits are too risky.

This case seems like it would be reasonable to pursue though. The vehicle was stolen in a carjacking (violent crime) and used in multiple robbers (violent crimes).

I don’t think police should pursue just because someone doesn’t have their headlights on or has a break light out or some other trivial offense, but we have to acknowledge the fact that people aren’t running for no reason. There will be times that the police terminate their pursuit for a ‘trivial’ offense and the person behind the wheel goes on to murder an ex spouse, kidnap a child, or commit a drive by shooting shortly thereafter.

Eventually we aren’t going to have to worry about such things but for the time being it’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation.

[Demovictory9]

4. sad

[ecstatic]

5. I bet the police report is a lie as well.

They're trying their best to make it seem like the high speed chase, which endangered many lives and took Mr. Frazier's life, was justified. Well it's not.

[NJCher]

10. my thoughts, too

reserving judgment on this police chase until more facts come out.

In the meantime, however, I am so sad that this young woman has lost her uncle. It's bad enough what she had to go through with watching George Floyd killed in front of her very eyes and then going through the trial.

And now it looks like Eric Adams is elected mayor in NYC: a police candidate. With all this violence, people turn to getting tough on crime.

Life is just damned cruel.

[demtenjeep]

7. oh god

no words

[demtenjeep]

8. oh god

no words

[SheltieLover]

9. ...

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. I feel so sorry for this young lady

Link to tweet

[wnylib]

12. Oh my God. What this poor young lady

has experienced already in her short lifetime. I hope she has a solid support system to get through this. It's one trauma on top of another.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

13. Kick.

[Klaralven]

16. Leneal Frazier Killed In Crash With Mpls. Police Squad That Was Chasing Suspect; Officer ID'd

Minneapolis police pursuit policy says there can be no pursuit when there is “an unreasonable risk to the officer, the public or passengers of the vehicle being pursued.” Police can begin a pursuit if they believe “a serious and violent felony or gross misdemeanor” has either been committed or about to be committed by the suspect.

The state patrol is not commenting on the investigation, and the Minneapolis Police Department is also investigating. MPD documents indicate that there is body camera, squad car, and surveillance footage of the crash.

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2021/07/07/1-killed-in-crash-involving-minneapolis-police-car/