Ben Crump Retained To Represent Family Of Leneal Frazier
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced on Thursday that he has been retained to represent the family of Leneal Frazier.
Frazier, 40, was killed early Tuesday morning when a Minneapolis police squad car chasing a carjacking suspect collided with his vehicle at an intersection. The suspect of the chase escaped, and the driver of another car suffered minor injuries.
Frazier is also the uncle of Darnella Frazier, the teenager who recorded the murder of George Floyd.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Leneal Frazier, including Miss Darnella Frazier, who has now twice been directly impacted by lethal practices of the Minneapolis Police Department," said Crump. "Police pursuits should be rare and law enforcement should take the greatest of precautions to protect all involved, especially innocent drivers and bystanders. The Frazier family and the Minneapolis community are mourning the loss of yet another Black life because of the irresponsible actions and failings of the Minneapolis Police Department."
MORE: Leneal Frazier's Family Demands Answers In Fatal Crash With MPD Officer
The officer who crashed into Frazier was identified on Wednesday as Brian Cummings. He is on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure. MPD police pursuit policy says a chase must be discontinued if it poses an unreasonable risk to the public.
Crump also represents the families of George Floyd and Daunte Wright. Nationally, he has represented the families of many Black people killed at the hands of police and vigilantes, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Breonna Taylor.
In March, Floyd's family settled a $27 million civil lawsuit with the city of Minneapolis. Crump called it the largest pre-trial civil rights wrongful death settlement in U.S. history.
He added that he expects a transparent investigation into Frazier's death from the Minnesota State Patrol.