Gov. Dayton: Video Of Jamar Clark Shooting Is Inconclusive
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota's governor says a video of Jamar Clark's shooting does not appear to support one point of view or another.
Clark died in north Minneapolis last week during what the police union described as a struggle for an officer's gun. Some witnesses said the police shot Clark after handcuffing him. The police union disputes that.
Now, state and federal investigators are trying to sort out the truth. Some protesters want any video of that encounter made public now. The BCA and Justice Department say that would hurt their investigation.
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton says he got to see the video because the BCA is conducting the independent investigation and it reports to him. He says it's his responsibility to know the situation.
Governor Dayton described the tape as inconclusive Monday -- a report that has some upset.
On the 9th day of Black Lives Matter's occupation of the 4th precinct, support appears to be growing. Most of BLM's demands have been met, except the one thing protesters say they want the most: A look at videotapes surrounding the shooting death of 24 year old Jamar Clark.
"I've seen the tape," Gov. Dayton said. "It doesn't show anything that would be by any confirmation to one point of view or another."
Gov. Dayton says from his point of view, the tape is inconclusive.
"And it's just a very brief fragment where Mr. Clark and one of the officers are encountering each other, and then they disappear from sight and there is no other view of them until one of the officers after," Dayton said. "And there's no audio, but it appears after the shot was fired one of the officers comes back into the camera view."
The Governor says the camera is looking out the back door of the ambulance, and is focused on what would happen in the back of the ambulance.
In a statement, Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds says the Governor's statment merely reinforces the public's need to see the videotape for themselves and to draw their own conclusions. She says the governor's statement could keep others from giving their witness account out of fear of not being believed.
Levy-Pounds says his statement is unacceptable and weakens the potential for a fair, transparent and balanced investigation.
The NAACP wants the videotapes released. The group also wants the city to close the 4th Precinct and offer the building to the North Side to be used as a community center.
Tuesday evening, there will be a community concert featuring Sounds of Blackness at the precinct and Wednesday, faith leaders and grief counselors will be at the precinct to offer support to those who attend Clark's funeral.
The NAACP hopes to continue the occupation of the precinct until there is what it calls justice for Jamar.
