Leneal Lamont Frazier, the uncle of the Minneapolis teen who filmed George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police, has died following a car crash involving a police squad car.
WCCO reports that Minnesota State Patrol has launched an investigation into the crash, which left Darnella Frazier’s uncle dead, and one police officer in hospital. The crash happened at approximately 12:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday. The police car involved in the crash was chasing an armed carjacking and robbery suspect, who authorities said is still at large.
According to Minneapolis Police Spokesman John Elder, the squad car was chasing the suspect when it hit a car at an intersection. The driver was not identified, but it was later revealed to be the older Frazier. His family has set up a GoFundMe to help raise funds to cover his funeral costs and other expenses.
Darnella Frazier, who shared the video of former police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, confirmed her uncle’s death on Facebook. “I woke up to the most horrible news,” Frazier wrote in a Facebook post. “Minneapolis police killed my uncle. MY uncle… Another Black man lost his life in the hands of the police! I asked my mom several times, ‘he died??’ I couldn’t accept what I was hearing and still can’t. Some things just take time to process. … Minneapolis police has cost my whole family a big loss.”
“It is very unfortunate that it was an innocent bystander,” Ambra Horne of the Minneapolis police department said. “I know the police, they have to do what they have to do. I also believe they should be mindful of cars and pedestrians around.”
The MPD has yet to confirm whether there is bodycam or dashcam videos of the crash available, but the officer involved in the crash has since been treated and released.
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