MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – U.S. Justice Department attorneys are expected to fly to Minnesota on Sunday to investigate the killing of a black man that has prompted protests and calls for the two Minneapolis police officers involved in the shooting to be prosecuted.
A key issue during their visit will be whether authorities should release to the public videos of the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Jamar Clark a week ago.
Federal and state authorities have resisted releasing the footage – from an ambulance, mobile police camera, public housing cameras and people’s cellphones – because they said it doesn’t show the full incident and making the recordings public would compromise their investigations.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said on Saturday that he had asked Clark’s family and representatives of the Black Lives Matter group protesting his death to meet with the federal government lawyers.
“I will urge that the tapes be provided to the family and released to the public, as soon as doing so will not jeopardize the Department of Justice’s investigation,” Dayton said after meeting with the family and leaders of the protesters.