
Minneapolis, MN – The family of Khalil Ahmad Azad, a 24-year-old Black man who was found dead in Crystal Lake in Robbinsdale, Minnesota on July 5, 2022, still had many unanswered questions on March 10, after Robbinsdale police released some body camera footage. The footage was released months after Khalilâs family said they requested it in September of last year. Azad was chased on foot by police in July after he was pulled over, and his body was discovered in Crystal Lake two days later.
Azadâs case gained attention after his family shared autopsy photos of his body online, showing severe bruising on his face, damage to his nose, and large scrapes on his body. The autopsy, performed by the Hennepin County Medical Examinerâs Office, concluded that Azad died from âfreshwater drowning,â but his family says that doesnât make sense.
Azadâs sister, Ayisha Johnson, spoke at a rally on Friday, March 10, about the suspicious nature of the case. âLooking at those photos, you know something was wrong. Thereâs no drowning, he knows how to swim, he was like 6â 4â, come on now,â Johnson said. âEvery video I watch and every article, I add it up in my head. I know they [the police] are lying. Everyone can see that theyâre lying.â
A statement released by Azadâs family last week says they believe the body camera footage from Robbinsdale Police was edited because the video skips, pauses, is blurry at times, and does not have time stamps listed. The family says that dogs can be heard barking in the background of the video, and an officer can be heard yelling to comply or theyâll release the dog.
Black Lives Matter Minnesota held several rallies last week demanding justice for Azad, which were endorsed by Twin Cities Justice for Jamar (TCC4J) and various other groups. Another rally is planned for this Wednesday at the Hennepin County Government Center. Azadâs family is demanding the release of all unedited body camera footage from all law enforcement agencies that were involved in Khalilâs case, and answers to all their questions.
Azadâs family said in their statement that they want to know why police stopped searching for Khalil so quickly. Police reported that they searched for Khalil for just 30 minutes. The family says they believe Azad ran from police for fear of his life, due to previous encounters with Robbinsdale police in which they threatened him.
âItâs the art of the cover-up, this is what police do,â said Monique Cullars-Doty during Fridayâs rally. Cullars-Doty is a Black Lives Matter Minnesota and TCC4J member and the aunt of Marcus Golden, who was killed by Saint Paul police in 2015. âWe can come out and stand up regardless of what the police say, regardless of what the media says, because we continue to see situations where white men survive and Black men do not.â Cullars-Doty also commended Khalilâs family for making the sacrifice to share the graphic autopsy photos and expose Khalil in that way.
During a rally in front of the Robbinsdale police station March 8, Toshira Garraway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, said she believes that what Robbinsdale police did to Azad is similar to what Saint Paul police did to her fiancĂ©, Justin Teigen, when they beat him and threw him in a trash dumpster in 2011. Garraway said the way that the body cam footage in Azadâs case goes blank after an officer says that the cameras are rolling, is similar to how the footage in her fiancĂ©âs case went blank, leading her to believe they were both edited.
âHe looks like Emmett Till,â Garraway said of Azadâs autopsy photos. âWeâre not stupid. We know what our eyes show us. We see a man brutally beaten. These are modern day lynchings happening at the hands of law enforcement here in the state of Minnesota.â
Azadâs brother, Jamal Johnson, said at Fridayâs rally that his family received body camera footage from Hennepin County Sheriffâs Office that day, but he said they didnât have the chance to review this footage before the rally. Johnson said his family is still waiting to receive body camera footage from other law enforcement agencies involved, including New Hope and Crystal police, and a State Patrol helicopter.
Trahern Crews, Black Lives Matter Minnesota founder, commended Azadâs family at Fridayâs rally for all theyâve been able to accomplish even though they donât have an attorney. In addition to the body camera footage that was released, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension also opened an investigation into the case last week. Crews said this investigation is unprecedented, given itâs been over eight months since Azadâs death.
Azadâs family wants all law enforcement agencies involved in his case to release all remaining body camera footage and details. âIt hurts me because I have to go to sleep at night knowing that I donât have answers,â Azadâs sister, Ayisha Johnson said. âHe was such a beautiful person. He was my best friend and I loved him so much.â
Source: Fightbacknews.org