Community Awaits Decision In Jamar Clark Case
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – This week, a decision on whether or not two officers involved in the shooting death of Jamar Clark will be charged with murder is expected to be made.
Clark was shot on November 15, 2015 after police responded to a call about a woman being assaulted. He died the next day.
There are conflicting stories about what exactly happened that night.
RELATED: A Timeline For The Jamar Clark Shooting Case
Over the weekend, hundreds rallied outside the Hennepin County Government Center before marching to the North Loop area of downtown. Some protesters even blocked city streets and the light rail.
They want County Attorney Mike Freeman to charge officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze, the two involved in the fatal shooting. If that doesn't happen, Clark supporters said they won't stay quiet.
Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds was among several speakers at the rally Saturday, which was held two days after Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau released a video warning protesters that police would not tolerate violence, regardless of the ruling of the case.
"We will not let threats of violence from the chief of police to stop us and shut us down, because unless she has power to rewrite Constitution of United States, she can't stop us from exercising our rights to free speech. We will get out there and protest, and march, and demonstrate," Levy-Pounds said.
Freeman, who decided against calling a grand jury, has said he will announce his decision about the case by the end of the month.
Congressman Keith Ellison said he thinks the protests will be peaceful in the coming week.
"How can we improve relationships between police and the community? That, I think, has to be job number one," Ellison told WCCO's Esme Murphy.
Black Lives Matter Minneapolis and the group Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar have said, no matter what the future holds, protests will be peaceful.
A decision is expected to come down any day this week.