The Minneapolis police department released two body camera videos, plus a third clip, on Sunday showing the moments a 31-year-old black man was shot in the back as he ran from cops.
Thurman Blevins’ June 23 death has sparked outrage and led to protests in the city as family members claim he was not armed or posing a danger to officers when he was shot multiple times while sprinting down an alley in a north side neighborhood.
On Sunday evening, the department released body camera footage from officers Ryan Kelly and Justin Schmidt, who both opened fire on Blevins. They have been placed on paid administrative leave as the department investigates the fatal shooting.
Police are investigating after 31-year-old Thurman Blevins was fatally shot by officers at about on June 23 on the north side of Minneapolis
The Minneapolis Police Department released body camera video footage showing the moment two officers fatally shot Blevins. Police say the video shows he was armed
In the first video, Kelly and Schmidt spot a man matching the description from a report of someone firing shots into the air. The man, which turned out to be Blevins, is sitting on the street corner with his dog talking to a woman, who reports say is his girlfriend, with a baby.
When the squad car pulls up, officer Schmidt yells that Blevins is armed and both cops jump out of the vehicle and start to chase Blevins.
‘Put your f***ing hands up!’ Kelly screams as he pursues Blevins. ‘Stop or I’ll shoot. Stop or I’ll shoot.’
When Blevins turns down an alley, officer Schmidt opens fire and officer Kelly also starts shooting. Blevins was shot in the back multiple times and died at a hospital from his injuries.
Officers said Blevins dropped his gun when he fell. Another cop is seen on the video kicking what police say is the weapon away from Blevins.
The second video shows Blevins pleading with officers not to shoot him as he sprints down the street.
‘Stop! Stop!’ Blevins yells as he runs. ‘Don’t shoot me please. Please don’t shoot me.’
At one point, Blevins denies he has a gun on him.
Officer Schmidt yells: ‘Stop or I’ll f***ing shoot’.
As Blevins turns down the alley he yells for the officers to leave him alone, moments before he collapses to the ground as shots ring out.
A third video is a stabilized and analyzed video produced by National Center for Audio & Video Forensics.
It’s slowed down to show that Blevins had a gun in the waistband of his shorts and pulled it out while he was running away from the officers, according to the department. It has a red circle drawn around Blevins’ waistband to highlight what appears to be a gun tucked into his shorts. It also has a red circle drawn around his hand as he runs to highlight what appears to be him pulling the gun out his waistband.
Some witnesses have disputed the officer’s claims that Blevins had a firearm on him.
Katya Kelly, the sister of Blevins’ girlfriend, said he had a bottle in his hand.
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.’
Officers said Blevins also pulled out his weapon while he was running and dropped it on the ground after he was shot
Blevins family has disputed the department’s claims saying he was not armed when police fired
Blevins, a father, is seen in the video begging for police to leave him alone and not shoot as he runs away
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 .
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.
His death has sparked massive outrage and protests in the Minneapolis area
The two officers who shot Blevins have been placed on paid administrative leave as the department investigates the shooting
Chief Medaria Arradondo said he could not comment while the investigation is pending.
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.