Minneapolis, MN – The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was denied a platform to defend their cover-ups of police killings, including their current ‘investigation’ of the police murder of Thurman Blevins, on July 12.

The North Minneapolis meeting was organized by the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, Liberty Church, MPLS Mad Dads, Justice Leadership Solutions, ReCAST Minneapolis (AKA the City of Minneapolis). A flyer with stolen pictures of Thurman promoted the gathering as a “community meeting” with the BCA. The meeting began with hollow religious epitaphs, voter registration, and even dared to use the slogan “Justice for Thurman Blevins!”

Thurman's outraged family led the charge to shut the meeting down. His sister, Corretta Blevins said, “First and foremost, we need to discuss justice [for my brother] and we need to discuss what type of man he was. I am not okay with the BCA and their presence”

Thurman Blevins family has criticized the role of BCA in the investigation of his murder thus far. Seeing his name on a flyer for an event with the BCA speaking was too much. The family was not spoken to or invited to the meeting, so they brought themselves there, along with a packed room of community members. The BCA was escorted off the premises by a security detail and then the media was also chased out of the room. Organizers of the ‘community meeting’ left in huff and the Blevins family and community was victorious in the battle.

Sam Martinez and organizer with the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar said, “We at TCC4J and the anti-police crimes movement see the reign of terror the MPD is unleashing upon our working-class communities and in particular upon our Black communities. The meeting held tonight was an attempt by the political system that protects killer cops to pacify our community's resistance. The Blevins family and the community took on the system that wishes to protect killer cops and demanded what is rightfully theirs, justice! All working people deserve justice, and we will find it together by taking power and fighting for community control of the police.”

Time and again, BCA investigators help clear cops of wrongdoing when they kill community members. In the case of Jamar Clark, they upheld a police-manufactured lie about domestic violence, which was denied by the fake ‘girlfriend’ as soon as the story went public (after County Attorney Mike Freeman declined to indict Clark's killers). In the case of Justine Damond, Freeman was caught on tape criticizing investigators for their faulty work.

The funeral for Thurman Junior Blevins will take place on Saturday, July 14. Family and community members vow to continue the fight for justice.

#Minneapolis #MN #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #BlackLivesMatter #PoliceCrimes #ThurmanBlevins #BureauOfCriminalApprehensionBCA