Minneapolis auditor to probe Allison Lussier death investigation, release report
Auditor to review Minneapolis death investigation
The Minneapolis city auditor will conduct a special review of the police department’s investigation into Allison Lussier’s death, a move welcomed by her family.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minneapolis city auditor will conduct a special review of the police department’s investigation into Allison Lussier’s death, a move welcomed by her family.
City auditor to review Allison Lussier’s death investigation
The backstory:
After a request from her family, the Minneapolis city auditor will review Allison Lussier’s death investigation, which her family claimed police botched. The move, which was announced Monday night, comes more than a year after her body was discovered in her North Loop apartment. Lussier suffered a head injury, but police also said she had large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine in her system. The medical examiner ultimately ruled her manner of death as "undetermined," which frustrated her family members who believe her boyfriend killed her. They said her death came after a history of domestic violence involving the couple.
What they're saying:
Lussier’s family rejoiced after word broke that the city would undertake an audit of her death investigation.
"We were ecstatic. We were happy over it, of course. We need transparency," said her aunt Jana Williams. "We need somebody that’s going to look at this without jaded eyes, you know, and give us a fair shot as to what happened here."
"It was a relief, you know, and – because we’ve been fighting for this for a year now, and it’s just been a rough one," recalled her sister Tiffany Jackson.
Minneapolis police chief foresees possible policy changes after audit but no criminal charges
What could happen after audit:
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said on Tuesday that he suspects the audit could prompt policy changes but not criminal charges.
"In order to convict someone of a crime requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and we have a medical examiner that’s saying the manner of death is undetermined," he said. "The best possible outcome we could have is that maybe there’s some policy or some practice that we improve for the future, which is great and I’m all for that."
What's next:
The city auditor’s office said the special review will take several months. It will then release a report detailing its findings to city administrators.