The mayor of Minneapolis has asked for a federal civil rights investigation of the fatal police shooting of a young black man that has resulted in protests and anger.
As 50 protesters were arrested after blocking a major highway for more than two hours, Mayor Betsy Hodges said she wrote to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice seeking the investigation in the “interest of transparency and community confidence”.
The state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is already conducting a criminal investigation, but the Associated Press reported that Ms Hodges said the city needs “all the tools we have available to us”.
Her move came after police shot and fatally injured Jamar Clark, 24, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Initial reports suggested he was handcuffed at the time he was shot, but officers have since said they do not believe that is true.
Mr Clark’s family said the young man suffered a single gunshot wound above the left eye. He was placed on a life support machine, but the machine was turned off around 7pm on Monday evening, KARE-TV reported.
Police said they approached the young man after being called to deal with an assault in the early hours of Sunday and encountered a man, later identified as Mr Clark, allegedly interfering with the ambulance crews.
Officers tried to calm him, but there was a struggle. At some point, an officer fired at least once, hitting the man, police said.
The incident sparked protests Sunday and an overnight encampment at the north Minneapolis police precinct near the site of the shooting. Community members and activists called for a federal investigation, as well as for authorities to release video of the incident and the officers' identity.
“We're still not moving until we get that footage,” said Michael McDowell, a member of Black Lives Matter
Protests continued on Monday, with demonstrators blocking Interstate 94, shutting down the northbound lanes for about two and a half hours. Police said 43 adults and 8 juveniles who refused orders to disperse were arrested.
Two officers involved of the shooting have been placed on paid leave, which officials said was standard practice after such an incident. Police Chief Janee Harteau said the officers were not wearing body cameras, but declined to say whether squad car or surveillance video was available, citing the ongoing investigation.
Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, called the civil rights request a step in the right direction, “given that we do not trust Minnesota law enforcement officials to hold themselves accountable.”
