Calls for justice in north Minneapolis continue after deadly police shooting

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - A march Thursday through the neighborhood where Thurman Blevins was killed by police officers over the weekend showcased hundreds of residents still frustrated and upset at what they saw as a lack of answers into the reasons why he was shot in the first place. 

"[Police] shot him down like he was an animal. He was loved, he had a heart, he had a soul and that mattered," said John Thompson. "That's my brother. I love him and he deserves justice."

Early reports from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehensions suggest Blevins was carrying a firearm and immediately fled from police when they pulled up to where he was sitting on a curb on the 4700 block of Bryant Avenue North. Police reported they received several 911 reports of someone in the area firing a gun in the air and into the ground prior to Blevins fleeing the scene.

Mayor Jacob Frey said this week he would release body camera footage from the incident as soon as key witnesses were interviewed. The Minnesota BCA, the agency tasked with investigating police shootings in the state, countered by saying it would only release public data once any criminal investigations were complete.