| Killing of Leneal Frazier | |
|---|---|
| Part of police brutality in the United States and racism against African Americans | |
 The intersection of Lyndale Avenue and 41st Avenue North where Frazier was killed. | |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 45°01′46″N 93°17′17″W / 45.029361°N 93.288108°W |
| Date | July 6, 2021 c. 12:31 a.m. CDT |
Attack type | Car crash, vehicular homicide, police killing |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 2 |
| Victim | Leneal Frazier |
| Perpetrator | Brian Cummings |
| Motive | Botched police vehicle pursuit |
| Verdict | Brian Cummings: Pleaded guilty |
| Convictions | Vehicular homicide |
| Charges | Brian Cummings: Second-degree manslaughter (dropped) James Jones-Drain: Vehicular theft (2 counts), fleeing police resulting in death (all dropped) |
| Sentence | 9 months in prison |
| Litigation | Civil claims pending |
Leneal Frazier was a 40-year-old African American man who was killed in Minneapolis at about 12:30 a.m. on July 6, 2021, in a car crash with officer Brian Cummings of the Minneapolis Police Department. That night, Cummings was pursuing suspected thieves in a vehicle at a high rate of speed through a residential neighborhood and ran a red light when he unintentionally struck Frazier's vehicle at a street intersection. Frazier, who was an innocent bystander and not involved in the police chase, died at the scene. Cummings faced criminal charges for operating his police vehicle negligently and causing Frazier's death. In mid 2023, he pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of vehicular homicide and received a nine-month prison sentence.[1][2][3]
Leneal Frazier was the uncle of Darnella Frazier, a bystander who filmed the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 that led to worldwide protests.[4][5] Leneal Frazier's death occurred during a period of prolonged, local unrest over racial injustice and police brutality and when Minneapolis was experiencing a surge in crimes such as carjackings and thefts, which led to more intensive law enforcement actions.[1][6][7] An attorney for Leneal Frazier's family argued that his death was the result of systemic racism due to the aggressive tactics police use in Black communities.[8] Frazier's death was protested.[9]
The theft suspects were later apprehended and charged with several criminal counts, including fleeing police resulting in death.[10] Prosecutors later dropped some of the criminal charges.[11][12]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Former Minneapolis police officer sentenced to nine months after fatally crashing into a man". Associated Press. 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Hyatt, Kim; Miller, Maya (2021-07-07). "Mourners block streets where Minneapolis police car crashed into car during pursuit, killing innocent driver". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (2021-07-07). "Bystander Killed in Police Crash Is Uncle of Teen Who Filmed George Floyd's Death". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
- ^ Bella, Timothy (2021-07-04). "Darnella Frazier says her uncle was killed by a police car that was chasing a robbery suspect". Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ William, Bornhoft (2021-02-03). "Ways To Avoid A Carjacking: Minneapolis Police Provide Tips". Patch.com. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ Uren, Adam (2021-02-18). "Police defend carjacking operation that involved helicopter after KARE 11 highlights lack of charges". Bring Me The News. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:12was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:17was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:23was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hyatt, Kim (August 25, 2023). "Charges dropped against man accused of fleeing police in fatal Minneapolis chase". Star Tribune. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ Hyatt, Kim (October 12, 2023). "Hennepin County judge rejects plea deal for 20-year-old charged in multiple robberies". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 13, 2023.