Video shows Minneapolis police squad car deadly crash during pursuit
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Surveillance video obtained by FOX 9 from a nearby gas station shows the moment a Minneapolis police squad car pursuing an armed robbery suspect struck an uninvolved vehicle, killing the driver.
The video shows the the apparent suspect vehicle go through the intersection of North 41st Avenue and North Lyndale Avenue at a high rate of speed. The squad car, which appears to have its flashing lights on, comes through the intersection a few seconds later, colliding with a vehicle that was headed west on North 41st. The impact sent the vehicle careening onto the sidewalk, where it crashed into a bus shelter.
The pursuit began around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, when officers who were searched for an armed robbery suspect near 6th Avenue North and Lowry Avenue spotted the suspect’s car, according to the Minneapolis Police Department. An officer was pursuing the suspect north on North Lyndale Avenue when the deadly crash occurred.
After hitting the first vehicle, the squad car went into the southbound lane and struck a second uninvolved vehicle.
The armed robbery suspect fled the scene and is not currently in custody.
An officer and the driver of the first car that was hit were taken to the hospital, where the driver died from his injuries about 90 minutes after the crash, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's report. The officer, identified as Officer Brian Cummings, is expected to survive.
Family members identified the driver who died as 40-year-old Leneal Frazier. He is the uncle of Darnella Frazier, the teenager who filmed George Floyd’s murder last year.
MPD spokesperson John Elder said it is department policy that lights and sirens be activated during pursuits.
The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating the incident.
Family members react to deadly collision
Jacqueline Jackson, Leneal Frazier’s mother, returned to the scene of the crash heartbroken, angry and full of questions about the deadly collision.
"I don’t even see how police hit him," Jackson said. "I don’t understand how the car got up in here. I don’t understand it."
Family reacts to deadly crash involving Minneapolis police squad car
Jacqueline Jackson, Leneal Frazier's mom, stopped by the deadly crash scene, telling FOX 9 she is trying to stay strong for her family. Leneal, her firstborn son, was killed when a Minneapolis police squad car crashed into his Jeep while an officer was pursuing an armed robbery suspect early Tuesday morning.
Leneal’s family, including Jackson and his niece Darnella, created a memorial at the scene.
"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."
Leneal’s daughter, Lanesha Frazier, said her dad "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."