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).

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Jess Sundin, of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), which is working for an all-civilian Minneapolis Police Accountability Council (MPAC), stated, “Police have no place directing medical personnel on the administering of medications, especially strong sedatives that risk people’s lives and cause memory loss. We know that several people were already restrained before they were given ketamine against their wishes, and that some stopped breathing or even had their hearts stop.”

Sundin continued, “This is an outrage, and justice demands more than a report by the city’s Office of Police Conduct Review, which has no power to discipline officers, even when it finds wrongdoing. This is why we demand community control of the police, and all-civilian board with the power to get rid of violent and abusive cops.”

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