Shocking surveillance footage shows moment speeding police car smashed into uncle of George Floyd video shooter Darnella Frazier and killed him in huge fireball as cops pursued stolen vehicle
Surveillance video has emerged showing the horrific moment a Minneapolis police squad car in the midst of a high speed chase of a carjacking suspect slammed into the jeep of Leneal Frazier, the uncle of Darnella Frazier, the young girl who filmed George Floyd’s murder last year.
Frazier, 40, was reportedly headed to his girlfriend’s house located a short distance from his home at around 12:30am on Tuesday when he drove his Jeep westbound on North Washington Avenue in the Camden section of Minneapolis.
Video, which was obtained by Fox 9 TV, shows a carjacking suspect blowing through the intersection at a high speed.
The image above taken from surveillance footage shows Leneal Frazier's Jeep (circled far right) drive into the intersection of 41st Avenue and Lyndale Avenue in north Minneapolis after midnight on Tuesday. The circled vehicle in the center is that of a carjacking suspect who is fleeing police. The circled image on the far left is a minivan that was damaged in the three-car wreck
The image above shows the moment a police squad car driven by Minneapolis Police Officer Brian Cummings slams into Frazier's Jeep in the intersection
The violent collision sends the cop car and the mangled SUV careening into a nearby bus stop, destroying the canopy
Moments later, first responders are seen pulling a badly injured Frazier out of the wreckage. He is then rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is pronounced dead
Darnella Frazier , who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for filming police officer Derek Chauvin as he knelt on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes in May of last year, announced the death of her uncle, Leneal Frazier
Moments later, Frazier’s Jeep drives into the intersection of Lyndale Avenue and 41st Avenue.
The squad car, which was driven by Minneapolis Police Officer Brian Cummings, rams into the driver’s side of Frazier’s Jeep.
The violent collision sends the cop car and the mangled SUV careening into a nearby bus stop, destroying the canopy.
Moments later, first responders are seen pulling a badly injured Frazier out of the wreckage. He is then rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is pronounced dead.
Cummings has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation. The probe is being handled by the Minnesota State Patrol.
Frazier's family was furious over their loved one's death, blaming police for staging a high-speed chase through a residential neighborhood.
Mourners on Wednesday drove their cars in the middle of the intersection where the fatal car wreck took place and blockaded traffic in protest, refusing a police request to clear out, according to the Star Tribune.
As the evening set in, police sealed off the road and the blockade remained in place. A Star Tribune reporter said that there were about 40 motorists participating in the protest at the intersection.
The image above shows a mangled SUV after a police car collided into near the intersection of West 41st Avenue and Lyndale Avenue in northern Minneapolis after midnight on Tuesday
The image above shows the SUV and a minivan involved in the three-car crash
The image above shows a Minneapolis Police Department squad car that was in the midst of a pursuit of an armed robbery suspect when the crash took place
‘Minneapolis police killed my uncle,’ she wrote in a Facebook post sent on Tuesday. ‘Another black man lost his life in the hands of the police!’
According to Minneapolis police, a squad car was driving north on Lyndale at high speed in pursuit of a carjacking suspect when Leneal Frazier's SUV, which was driving westbound on 41st Avenue, entered the intersection of Lyndale and 41st. The squad car is said to have 'T-boned' Frazier's Jeep, sending it crashing into a nearby bus stop. Another vehicle, a minivan that was heading southbound on Lyndale, was also involved in the collision
A medical examiner’s report indicated that Leneal Frazier died of blunt force injuries, according to WCCO-TV.
Frazier’s family was outraged that police would conduct a high-speed chase through a residential area.
‘This ain’t the freeway. Y’all ain’t cowboys, man,’ a relative of Frazier told WCCO-TV.
‘Y’all are supposed to protect and serve us.’
The relative, who only goes by the name Terry, added: ‘I understand you guys got a job to do, man, but this, bro.
‘These people live right here, man.’
'My brother didn't do this,' Orlando Frazier, Leneal’s brother, said.
'He didn’t crash into the police, the police crashed into him. Police killed him.'
Lanesha Frazier, Leneal's daughter, said her father 'didn't deserve to get hit by no car.'
'I am terrified of these police and they need to do something about it,' she said.
'This is not fair. This is not right. I didn’t expect this to be my father. We need justice.'
Darnella Frazier, who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for filming police officer Derek Chauvin as he knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes in May of last year, announced the death of her uncle, Leneal Frazier, on Facebook on Tuesday.
Darnella Frazier wrote another post on Wednesday in which she criticized police for the high-speed pursuit of the carjacking suspect, though she clarified that she did not believe that her uncle’s death was racially motivated
‘I never said the police killed him on purpose,’ Darnella wrote on her Facebook page. ‘I said it was the police’s fault. I never said it had anything to do with race, because if this was a black cop, I’d feel the same way.’
More than 40 mourners are here now and the crowd is growing. They just moved their vehicles to block the intersection. pic.twitter.com/ocEZ01zeVc
— Kim Hyatt (@kimvhyatt) July 8, 2021
More than 40 mourners are here now and the crowd is growing. They just moved their vehicles to block the intersection. pic.twitter.com/ocEZ01zeVc
Darnella Frazier wrote another post on Wednesday in which she criticized police for the high-speed pursuit of the carjacking suspect, though she clarified that she did not believe that her uncle’s death was racially motivated.
‘I never said the police killed him on purpose,’ Darnella wrote on her Facebook page.
‘I said it was the police’s fault. I never said it had anything to do with race, because if this was a black cop, I’d feel the same way.’
She added: ‘I honestly don’t even know the race of the cop. I just know it was a police officer behind the wheel.
Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney who represented the family of George Floyd in its lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis, has been retained by Leneal Frazier’s family
‘Before the media goes putting out a false narrative, I’ll control my own narrative,’ she wrote.
‘I also never said the suspect held zero responsibility, but the police made a bad decision by doing a high speed chase on a residential road.
‘That bad decision cost my uncle his life.’
Darnella added: ‘The police car is the car that killed my uncle. Accident or not he’s gone.
‘Everyone made it out alive, BUT my uncle.
‘It hurts different because he had NOTHING to do with this.’
Earlier this year, Frazier testified at Chauvin’s trial that she was walking to a corner grocery store to get snacks with her then-9-year-old cousin when she saw a man being pinned to the pavement, 'terrified, scared, begging for his life,' so she pulled out her cellphone and began recording.
Meanwhile, it was announced that Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney who represented the family of George Floyd in its lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis, has been retained by Leneal Frazier’s family.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Leneal Frazier, including Miss Darnella Frazier, who has now twice been directly impacted by lethal practices of the Minneapolis Police Department,’ Crump told WCCO-TV.
‘Police pursuits should be rare and law enforcement should take the greatest of precautions to protect all involved, especially innocent drivers and bystanders.
‘The Frazier family and the Minneapolis community are mourning the loss of yet another Black life because of the irresponsible actions and failings of the Minneapolis Police Department.’
In March, the Floyd family and the city came to an agreement on a $27million settlement. Crump said it was the largest pre-trial civil rights wrongful death settlement in US history.
Crump has called on the Minnesota State Patrol, which is handling the investigation, to conduct a transparent probe.
Minneapolis police were investigating whether the squad car had its emergency lights and sirens on as is required in instances of pursuits of suspects. The surveillance footage shows that the lights were activated.
Local residents said they heard two loud bangs at around the time of the collision after midnight on Tuesday
Police officers were called to the scene which was cordoned off by yellow tape so as to keep bystanders at a distance
The investigation into the crash is being handled by the Minnesota State Patrol
Investigators are looking into whether the squad car had its sirens and lights on during the chase
Darnella Frazier shared a screen shot of text messages that she recently exchanged with her uncle
Another vehicle belonging to a bystander who was driving south on Lyndale at the time of the chase was also involved in the crash. The driver of that vehicle suffered minor injuries.
A witness said that the Jeep was ‘T-boned’ into a bus stop near a gas station.
The police car was driving north on Lyndale in hot pursuit of a suspect in a stolen vehicle who was believed to have been behind a carjacking and several robberies of businesses in the area, according to the MPD.
Officers first saw the stolen vehicle near North 6th Street and Lowry Avenue and tried to have the driver pull the car over.
But the driver accelerated in an attempt to flee arrest. The chase continued for more than a mile-and-a-half.
Frazier was rushed to North Memorial Health in Robbinsdale, where he was pronounced dead. Cummings, the police officer driving the squad car, was also rushed to hospital, where he was later released.
The armed robbery suspect was not involved in the collision and remains at large, according to authorities.
‘Minneapolis police killed my uncle,’ she wrote in a Facebook post sent on Tuesday.
‘Another black man lost his life in the hands of the police!’
She added: ‘Minneapolis police has cost my whole family a big loss...today has been a day full of heartbreak and sadness.’
Jacqueline Frazier , the mother of Leneal Lamont Frazier, is comforted by Tenisha Hunter as people gather on Wednesday in Minneapolis, at a memorial at the site of his death
Lanesha Frazier , 22, and Jamie Bradford , 20, both daughters of Leneal Lamont Frazier, comfort each other on Wednesday in Minneapolis
Items rest at a memorial for Leneal Frazier at the site of his death in north Minneapolis on Wednesday
The image above shows investigators working at the scene of the crash in north Minneapolis on Wednesday
Frazier slammed MPD officers for conducting a high-speed chase on a residential road.
‘You took an innocent life trying to catch someone else,’ the message read.
The Minnesota State Patrol arrived on the scene in the aftermath of the crash and launched an investigation.
DailyMail.com has reached out to MPD and MSP seeking comment.
In June 2019, MPD updated its pursuit policy, which now bans officers from initiating chases if they ‘pose an unreasonable risk to the officers, the public or passengers of the vehicle being pursued who may be unwilling participants.’
MPD officers may initiate a pursuit if they believe a suspect either has committed or is about to commit ‘a serious and violent felony or gross misdemeanor.’
Officers can also give chase if they believe the suspect’s driving is ‘so flagrantly reckless that the driver would pose an imminent and life-threatening danger to the public if not apprehended.’
John Elder, a spokesperson for the MPD, told the Star Tribune that Tuesday morning’s pursuit ‘fit the criteria’ spelled out in the department’s updated policy.
Darnella Frazier when they found Floyd pinned to the ground by Chauvin and two other police officers
Darnella was recognized 'for courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists' quest for truth and justice,' the citation said
more videos
Crying dog leads men to tar-covered puppy that they rescue
Mother of Columbine shooter recalls funeral
Harry Kane's wife sings Sweet Caroline after England's semi-final win
Bizarre moment Deliveroo cyclist rides in outside lane of motorway
Starmer warns 'Johnson variant' will surge after unlocking
Shocking moment woman is crushed to death in Russian karaoke club
'Magic Carpet' ride at Michigan festival comes loose from its base
Farmer catches serial fly-tippers and forces them to flee on foot
Polish farmer harvests his field surrounded by apartment blocks
Shocking moment man unleashes knife attack on paramedics
Woman films cracks at condo's garage one year before collapse
Rare 'tornado' style funnel cloud spotted in Darlington
‘We are limiting what we can chase for, but these were obvious felonies,’ Elder said.
Witnesses said they heard back-to-back collisions. Residents living in homes nearby went to their windows to take a glance at the scene.
Investigators who arrived on the scene found a mangled SUV with its driver side crumpled after it was smashed into a bus stop in front of a nearby gas station.
Another vehicle involved in the crash, a minivan, had both driver side and passenger side airbags deployed.
Raquel Brown, a local resident, saw the crash site while she and two siblings were on their way to the store.
She then took out her cell phone and started recording.
While examining the scene, Brown said it appeared that one of the cars hit by the police squad car was ‘just T-boned right into the bus stop.’
‘The whole driver’s side was gone,’ Brown told the Star Tribune.
Police officers were summoned to the crash site, which was cordoned off with yellow tape in order to keep bystanders at a distance.
‘We asked one who came up, and he said, “We don't really know. Let's calm down”,’ she said.
‘We were like, we want to know what happened. He really wasn't able to tell us anything.’
As of early Wednesday morning, there was no publicly available video footage of the crash or the high speed chase.
The Clark gas station located on the intersection has surveillance cameras pointed toward the crash site, but police have yet to obtain that footage.
Local residents were angered that police would conduct a high-speed chase on a residential road.
'What do you think, that a life is more important or the car is more important?' said Dwayne Bledsoe, a resident of the nearby Prosperity Village Apartments.
Bledsoe told the Star Tribune that he was about to sit at the bus stop in the moments before the crash.
'I would have been dead,' he said.
Crashes during law enforcement pursuits killed more than 7,000 people nationwide between 1996 and 2015, or 355 annually on average, according to the last comprehensive report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics on the issue in 2017.
On the anniversary of his death, Darnella Frazier posted a touching tribute to George Floyd
Nearly 30 percent of the people killed were in vehicles not involved in pursuits, 4 percent were bystanders, 65 percent were suspects and 1 percent were officers.
A study in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin in 2010 said some officers can't stomach allowing a suspect to drive off, even if it's the safer option.
Researchers also said chases produce an adrenaline rush impairs officers' motor skills.
Technology has been available for years that offers alternatives, including magnetized GPS devices that can be flung onto a suspect’s car, enabling police to stop and track the signal.
DEATH OF LENEAL FRAZIER SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON MINNEAPOLIS PD 'S PURSUIT POLICY WHICH BANS COPS FROM CHASES THAT POSE RISK TO OTHERS
In June 2019, MPD updated its pursuit policy, which now bans officers from initiating chases if they ‘pose an unreasonable risk to the officers, the public or passengers of the vehicle being pursued who may be unwilling participants.’
MPD officers may initiate a pursuit if they believe a suspect either has committed or is about to commit ‘a serious and violent felony or gross misdemeanor.’
Officers can also give chase if they believe the suspect’s driving is ‘so flagrantly reckless that the driver would pose an imminent and life-threatening danger to the public if not apprehended.’
John Elder, a spokesperson for the MPD, told the Star Tribune that Tuesday morning’s pursuit ‘fit the criteria’ spelled out in the department’s updated policy.
‘We are limiting what we can chase for, but these were obvious felonies,’ Elder said.
Crashes during law enforcement pursuits killed more than 7,000 people nationwide between 1996 and 2015, or 355 annually on average, according to the last comprehensive report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics on the issue in 2017.
Nearly 30 percent of the people killed were in vehicles not involved in pursuits, 4 percent were bystanders, 65 percent were suspects and 1 percent were officers.
A study in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin in 2010 said some officers can't stomach allowing a suspect to drive off, even if it's the safer option.
Researchers also said chases produce an adrenaline rush impairs officers' motor skills.
Technology has been available for years that offers alternatives, including magnetized GPS devices that can be flung onto a suspect’s car, enabling police to stop and track the signal.
In June 2019, MPD updated its pursuit policy, which now bans officers from initiating chases if they ‘pose an unreasonable risk to the officers, the public or passengers of the vehicle being pursued who may be unwilling participants.’
