National NAACP President joins protesters outside 4th Precinct for Jamar Clark vigil

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - The National NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks joined activists from the Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter, and community members for a candlelight vigil in memory of Jamar Clark on Friday night.

“Brother Jamar cannot be with us this evening, but we can stand and seek justice for him and for his family," Brooks told the crowd. “I need you to take care of yourselves. I need you to keep yourselves safe. We need to be in this fight for the long run."

The vigil took place outside the 4th Precinct station where police and protesters have clashed almost every night for the past week following Clark’s death. It then turned into a short march to the scene where Clark was killed.

"We have to both turn up the heat and turn up the light. We have to press our way, make our case, make our case forcefully but also non-violently," Brooks said.

Brooks also met with Gov. Mark Dayton and Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges on Friday to discuss the case and police tactics employed during the shooting.

"I asked the President of the NAACP to give us examples from other cities and states in terms of community policing and various outreaches that can be made," Dayton said. "I want very much to learn from what other states are doing better than Minnesota and then we'll gage NAACP leaders and others throughout the state. I take this very seriously."

Following the vigil, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Vanita Gupta and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Minneapolis Division Richard T. Thornton released a statement on their independent investigation:

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI Minneapolis Division are conducting an independent investigation into whether the death of Jamar Clark violated any federal criminal statutes. As is our practice in conducting investigations into allegations of constitutional violations committed under color of law, experienced federal prosecutors and FBI agents are conducting a thorough review of all evidence in this case. That includes interviewing relevant witnesses, reviewing relevant information, and pursuing leads. We are doing so in a manner that ensures the integrity of the investigation and the reliability of the information obtained.

Release of any evidence, including any video, during an ongoing investigation would be extremely detrimental to the investigation. We are conducting our investigation in a fair, thorough, and expeditious manner.