Minneapolis, MN – In response to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s decision to not press charges against the Richfield and Edina police officers who killed Brian Quiñones, the groups Justice for Brian Quiñones, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), the Racial Justice Network and others gathered for a spirited picket of Mike Freeman’s residence the evening of February 11.

About 50 people chanted, sang and played clips of Brian’s music for about an hour. The most popular chant was “Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail. The whole damn system is guilty as hell!” Family and friends of Brian and other victims of police violence spoke about their outrage and their fear for their teenage sons when interacting with police. Several people pointed out that Freeman is a liar and a coward, afraid of doing the right thing, who instead hides behind regulations. They declared that he has blood on his hands, just as much as the many cops who pulled the trigger.

Mike Freeman has again refused to serve the cause of justice, or the people of Hennepin County, by justifying the police murder of Brian Quiñones and refusing to bring charges against the officers responsible. During his entire tenure to date, Freeman has charged only one police officer for shooting a citizen, when a Somali officer shot a white woman in the same upscale neighborhood that Freeman lives in. Many, many other instances where white cops killed residents have passed by with no charges filed.

“We are tired of Mike Freeman serving as defense attorney for these racist killer cops,” said Angel Smith El of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar. “Like so many before him, Brian harmed no one before police decided to treat a man in crisis as a target. Their claim that he was a threat is bald-faced lie: Brian was walking away from the officers when they ran towards him and opened fire. It’s clear that it was the police who overreacted and lost control of the situation that night.”

This case echoes that of Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old Chicago youth who was also shot while walking away from police. One police officer was found guilty of second-degree murder after widespread outcry by the community, and several other officers went on trial for helping cover up the crime.

TCC4J is one of many local organizations that has stood with the Quiñones family to demand justice for Brian. Because prosecutors refuse to hold police accountable, TCC4J is working for an all-civilian board to control the police – a Minneapolis Police Accountability Council (MPAC).

#MinneapolisMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #MinneapolisPoliceAccountabilityCouncilMPAC #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #BrianQuinones

Minneapolis, MN – Activists rallied then took to the streets, October 25, blocking light rail, dodging police, and delaying rush hour traffic to demand justice and transparency in the police murder of Brian Quinones.

Quinones was a father, a husband, a rapper, and a beloved member of the community. He was gunned down by five police officers in September. Officers waited only one second after shouting commands at Quinones before firing multiple rounds. After the shots dropped Brian to the ground, the officers inexplicably fired another set of bullets at his body.

Protesters demanded transparency from the cities of Richfield and Edina, whose officers shot Quinones. Both cities had committed to release video to the family and the public on October 23. Both cities backed out on their commitment to release the video to the public. Only Edina honored the commitment to allow the family to view their video.

Protesters also demanded the officers involved in the shooting be fired and charged. Less than a month after Quinones’ killing, all officers were back on the job. Quinones’ friends and family spoke of the fear they feel for themselves and their children, knowing his killers are on the streets of their community carrying guns and badges.

Families of police victims struggle to obtain not just dash and body camera video, but public information such as police records. The family of Isak Aden, who was murdered by police in Eagan in July, has been working with the Quinones family to get information and justice. Both families have had data requests ignored and illegally refused by cities whose officers were involved in their shootings.

County attorneys regularly demand cities withhold information from families – information that would help make the case for prosecution of killer cops – until after the decision has been made to not prosecute. The Quinones and Aden families encountered this again at an Apply Valley city council meeting this week.

Only two officers have ever been charged for killing a civilian in Minnesota. There have been 25 people killed by Minnesota police since this time last year.

Ashley Quinones, Brian’s wife, said at the rally, “These deaths do not allow families to grieve. We immediately have to go seek justice for our loved ones.”

Ashley quoted Malcom X, regarding the media pattern of repeating the police narrative about police killings while diminishing the voices of family members and protesters, “This is the media. It will make the criminal look like he’s the victim, and victim look like he’s the criminal. If you are not careful, the media will have you hating the people that are being oppressed and loving the people that are doing the oppressing.”

Chara Blanch, a friend of the Quinones family, said, “Police are taught to fear people of brown and black skin. That is why these families have lost their loved ones.”

Dinni Aden, brother of Isak Aden who was murdered in July, said, “In Isak’s incident, over 90 officers were called. In Brian’s, over 100. I thought Isak’s situation will never happen to anyone in Minnesota again…and two months later, it was Brian.”

Sam Martinez, of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar, spoke of the need for local and national police accountability, “It needs to be a national movement for police accountability; so, we will be joining activists for the re-founding of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The National Alliance was the organization that worked to free Angela Davis.” The National Alliance conference is November 22 -24 in Chicago and will include family members of victims police brutality and activists from across the country.

In addition to the Aden family, other family members of police murder attended to support the family, including Zaida Henry, sister of Dontaylo Wright; Jeanette Blevins, aunt of Thurman Blevins; Toshira Garraway Allen, partner of Justin Teigen; and Monique Cullars Doty, aunt of Marcus Golden.

The protest began with a rally outside the Hennepin County Government Center, where County Attorney Mike Freeman – notorious for never charging an officer in a police shooting until a white woman was shot by a Black cop – has his office.

Brian’s music played over the speakers as the rally began. After chants, speakers and a march the blocked downtown trains and traffic, the group returned to the starting point for the Assata chant then dispersed.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #BrianQuinones

Minneapolis, MN – Keaton James Larson, Travis Jordan, Billy Hughes, Archer Amorosi and Phil Quinn are a few of the many Minnesotans who were dealing with a mental health crisis when killed by those who are paid to “protect and serve,” leading some to ask the question “Were the victims suicidal?”

The question should not be “Was the victim suicidal?” but “Would the victim be alive if the police had handled the situation more appropriately?” In the case of Brian Quinones, killed on September 9 by police in Richfield, the answer is absolutely, “Yes, he should still be alive.”

“Suicide by cop” is never a justification for killings by police.

The phrase “suicide by cop” is exploitative of the struggles people with mental illness face. The phrase originated in the law enforcement community, and has been popularized by police to justify police shootings. People of color are routinely murdered by police when they are in need of a mental health intervention. On the other hand, supposedly mentally ill white mass shooters are more often taken into custody alive.

In Brian Quinones case, only a second passed from when the police shouted, “Drop the knife” until seven or eight shots were fired, killing Brian. There is absolutely no reason that a non-lethal alternative could not have been used or at least attempted. There was absolutely no reason for the police to fire a second wave of bullets after Quinones was shot and on the ground.

Police statements about victims of police killings are not reliable. To this day, many people think Jamar Clark was guilty of a domestic assault, because of the false statements by the police and County Attorney Mike Freeman. Police think they see weapons that were not there. Sometimes they lie. Sometimes they plant weapons. We should not assume the “he had a knife” narrative until evidence is released.

If Quinones did have a knife, that is not justification to pump him full of bullets. Police should be trained and expected to apprehend someone without having to kill them. A firearm should only be pulled as a last resort, in the case of an actual and immediate threat. Confronted with a knife, police should do what any of us would do step back and de-escalate the situation. Instead, officers have become more militarized and more complacent about taking a life in seconds.

Over half of the 1000-plus police killings each year nationwide involve a mental health issue, yet the police and politicians resist efforts for mental health intervention in police encounters.

The killing of people with a mental illness by police with no repercussions amounts to a state-sanctioned attack on those with mental health issues and should be treated as such.

The community must keep fighting and speaking out after these killings, no matter the excuses given by police representatives. If we stop fighting, the killings of those with mental health issues, notably people of color, will only continue to increase.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TwinCitiesCoalitionForJustice4Jamar #BrianQuinones

Richfield, MN – On September 8, family, friends and community members honored Brian J. Quinones, who was shot to death by Edina police in Richfield on September 7. A vigil near the spot where he was killed, in front of Seasons Park Apartments on 77th Street, was followed by a march that went onto Interstate 494 and shut down traffic.

#RichfieldMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #BrianQuinones