Minneapolis City Council: Release body camera footage ‘as soon as legally possible'

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - A joint statement signed by all 13 Minneapolis City Council members is calling on the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to release body camera footage of the Saturday, June 23 police shooting of Thurman Blevins "as soon as legally possible."

“We, the Minneapolis City Council, stand in solidarity with Northsiders and ask for the BCA to release the body camera footage and all other evidence related to the shooting of Thurman Blevins," the statement says. "We, too, have many questions and call for full transparency about what took place before and led to this tragedy. Expediency and integrity are key to transparency and building trust. We ask for the BCA to answer our call for evidence to be released as soon as legally possible."

Blevins, 31, was shot multiple times by Minneapolis police following a foot chase that ended in his death in an alley at 4746 Bryant Avenue North.

According to the BCA, Minneapolis police officers were responding to at least one 911 call ust before 5:30 p.m. about a man in the area of 46th Avenue N. and Lyndale Avenue N. firing a handgun. Officers encountered Thurman Blevins sitting with a woman on the curb near the intersection of 48th Avenue N. and N. Camden Avenue. As the officers exited their squad, Blevins ran away and was carrying a gun.

Sometime during the chase officers fired their weapons, striking and killing Blevins. The chase lasted for several blocks and Blevins was pronounced dead at the scene. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's report released Monday said Blevins died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Body cameras worn by the officers recorded the shooting. Squad cameras did not capture the incident.

Both officers involved in the incident have been placed on standard administrative leave. The shooting remains under investigation.