A police officer shot a black man suspected of assault Sunday, and protests have spread across the city with protest leaders saying Minneapolis is the new Ferguson, Mo.
“We have been saying for a significant amount of time that Minneapolis is one bullet away from Ferguson,” Jason Sole, chair of the Minneapolis NAACP’s criminal justice committee, told Minnesota Public Radio News. “That bullet was fired last night. We want justice immediately.”
Activists who say Jamar Clark, 24, was handcuffed when critically shot blocked the entrance to Police Headquarters Monday morning, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The shooting occurred when police responded to a report of an assault just before 1 a.m. Sunday morning. Police say when they arrived there was a man interfering with paramedics who were treating the man who had been assaulted. There was a struggle and one fatal shot fired by police. The shooting sparked Black Lives Matter marches through the streets of Minneapolis Sunday.
But the details of the shooting are disputed. Black Lives Matter activists say the man was handcuffed and unarmed when police shot him, but the city’s police chief said the man was not handcuffed.
So far, reports indicate that Clark is not deceased but is brain dead, according to family members. One family member said he was shot “in the head, execution style.”
So far things are stable, but the release of damning details such as confirmation of police wrongdoing or the death of Clark could escalate the situation.
“We need to know exactly what happened. We need to know the truth. Everyone involved needs that and deserves that,” Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau said.
The protesters have demanded a video of the incident be released as well as a federal investigation. They blocked the police headquarters chanting, “arrest the officer or arrest us.”
Arrest the officer or arrest us #Justice4Jamar #JamarCkark #JamesAndPlymouth #4thPrecinctShutDown pic.twitter.com/ZOpkLOyDLw
— Black Lives MPLS (@BlackLivesMpls) November 16, 2015
We need folks to come join us at the 4th precinct. Still demanding #Justice4Jamar pic.twitter.com/2T69w6tAys — Black Lives MPLS (@BlackLivesMpls) November 16, 2015
This is dedication to just. We have been out here over 16hours & will stay till we get justice! #Justice4Jamar pic.twitter.com/grXW6pKzy5 — Black Lives MPLS (@BlackLivesMpls) November 16, 2015
Holding it down at the 4th precinct. Demanding video footage. @MayorHodges pic.twitter.com/hx7KoiAjc9 — Black Lives MPLS (@BlackLivesMpls) November 16, 2015
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