An alleged carjacker was fatally shot by police in Burnsville, Minnesota, Sunday after he reportedly fired on police officers.
The deceased was described as a white man in his 20s by Burnsville police, although his identity has not been fully revealed. Authorities were quick to explain why the young man was shot, but a protest ensued anyway.
“Officers first encountered the suspect driving a vehicle with stolen plates, which the suspect crashed,” the Burnsville Police Department said in a public statement. “A short time later, police were notified the same male was involved in the carjacking of a female at gunpoint.” The suspect allegedly commandeered this vehicle until he decided to abandon the car next to I-35W and charge into traffic to steal a different car.
The suspect apparently jumped out of his vehicle and attempted to carjack another vehicle on the highway. pic.twitter.com/GXgySvoSTC
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) April 18, 2021
Police say the man shot at officers at some point while he attempted to carjack an SUV that was traveling down the interstate. This effort failed as he was fired upon by multiple officers, ending his life.
“Any death is a tragedy, and our hearts go out to everyone involved,” said Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, per Fox 9.
After the shooting, a livestreamer recorded a woman near the scene of the incident who claimed to be a former police officer and a victim of the deceased man’s carjacking attack.
“They [the police] didn’t murder him [the alleged carjacker],” the woman said. “They didn’t have a choice but to shoot him … the guy could have killed me and my six-year-old goddaughter, he could have killed who knows how many people if they wouldn’t have stopped him.”
The woman’s interview was then interrupted by protesters yelling “no more cops in a racist system.”
“If they talking about what the state released, the video don’t show no shooting,” one protester claimed, gas mask and bullhorn in hand.
“If the police can’t tell me that that motherf–er brandished a gun, and attempted to point that bitch at them, I don’t wanna hear that shit, bro. Like, there is no justification for misrepresentation,” the protester told a small group of people recording him.
“You should be able to come out here and commit 20 f–ing felonies and not be killed, bro,” he concluded.
Protesters remained on scene for several hours while members of a separate protest in St. Paul also knelt to mourn the death of the alleged carjacker.
Protestors kneel after hearing there was an officer-involved shooting in Burnsville moments ago. This information HAS NOT been confirmed but this group says they're heading there. pic.twitter.com/MHdQQmytnY
— Mitti Hicks (@MittiMegan) April 18, 2021
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
