Posted on 07/30/2018 11:28:17 AM PDT by Simon Green
“Please don’t shoot me,” Thurman Blevins begged as the two Minneapolis police officers closed in during a foot chase. “Leave me alone.”
Moments later, he was fatally shot, and police said he had a handgun lying in the alleyway next to him.
The exchange is captured in body-camera footage released by the city of Minneapolis on Sunday, a little over a month after Blevins, 31, was killed. His death June 23 would lead to protests across the city as activists decried the killing of yet another black man at the hands of white police officers.
The graphic videos, which include profanity, can be viewed in their entirety here.
Prosecutors said Monday that they would not file charges against Ryan Kelly and Justin Schmidt, the two Minneapolis police officers involved. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced the decision Monday morning at a news conference that was interrupted by protests.
In Freeman’s prepared remarks, which were released by his office, the prosecutor said there was “no basis to issue criminal charges against either officer” because Blevins “fled from the officers with a loaded handgun, refused to follow their commands for him to stop and show his hands, and then took the gun out of his pocket and turned toward the officers.”
Freeman’s office also released a 21-page report further explaining the decision and concluding that Blevins “posed an immediate threat to the officers’ safety.”
The report outlined the findings of a state investigation, which included analyzing the body-worn cameras, forensic analysis of the gun and interviews with officers involved, along with witnesses. These findings were sent to Freeman, who reviewed it with three senior prosecutors to make the decision not to charge the officers.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
#Riots scheduled for 2:45 today?
Gotta love those body cams. Removes all doubt - at least in this case.
“Unleash the Kraken”
...and then took the gun out of his pocket and turned toward the officers.”
...
No wonder he told the officers to not to shoot him. He wanted the first shot.
All he had to do was drop the gun and stop running.
““Please don’t shoot me,”
Almost guaranteed to get you shot if you even have time to get those words out. The Aussie lady didn’t.
“refused to follow their commands “
Can we shoot people who refuse to follow our commands?
“Gotta love those body cams. Removes all doubt - at least in this case.”
Cops skate either way.
My wife takes the train home from St. Paul through Minneapolis. I told her to leave early. The natives always go wild over this stuff
If they point a gun at you, yes.
“Can we shoot people who refuse to follow our commands?”
Yes. Next question?
I would not be a police officer without a body cam. If my dept would not buy them, I would buy my own. Amazing how the justified shootings have proven out since we got body and dash cams.
...Can we shoot people who refuse to follow our commands...
When it comes to an obviously armed man turning toward cops with a gun in hand after being continually warned you would be shot if you didn’t drop the gun? Are you serious?
Only a moron would turn on cops with his gun while running. There’s not any difference with this guy and the dead guy in Chicago who had a holstered gun under his shirt and a mag pouch who drew on the cops while running.
He was a good boy who was turnin his life roun
http://www.startribune.com/police-release-body-camera-video-of-blevins-shooting/489470851/
Court records show that Blevins had several criminal convictions over the past decade. He was convicted in 2010 of being a felon in possession of a firearm and of fleeing Minneapolis police in 2008 and 2012. He also pleaded guilty in 2015 to one count of fourth-degree assault for spitting at and kicking a Minneapolis Park Police officer. A minor drug possession charge was dismissed June 8.
Now being reported that not only did he have a gun, he got a round off during the chase. Just before he died.
Shell casing near the body matched his gun.
BAC at the time of his death was .162
Here’s my question...
Why was a 6 time convicted felon out walking around free?
Blevins gets the Millenium Darwin Award for being the dumbest person on Planet Earth. The bad news is he’s a baby daddy.
The Cop that shot “The Jolly Teen Giant” had a body cam and the Dindoo Nuffins still rioted for a week.
I see where the BLM crowd has given an ultimatum.
The two cops are arrested and charged within 48 hours, or there will be repercussions.
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