Two white police officers involved in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis last fall won’t face charges, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
The decision not to criminally charge Officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze in connection with 24-year-old Jamar Clark’s death came after weeks of racial tensions that included an 18-day encampment outside of a police precinct and clashes between demonstrators and cops.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said the Nov. 15 shooting was justified, and Clark was not handcuffed when he was taken to the ground and shot.
Clark was struck in the head during what police say was an early-morning struggle between him and the officers during a domestic dispute between him and his girlfriend.
Freeman had the final decision in filing charges after he said he would go the unorthodox route and not rely on a grand jury — a method used in other high-profile cases of police-involved shootings that have more recently failed to result in indictments.
For instance, grand juries declined to bring charges against the officer who shot 12-year-old Cleveland boy Tamir Rice or the Ferguson, Missouri, cop who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Clark was a suspect in an assault against his girlfriend when police confronted him, and authorities say he was interfering with paramedics who were treating her.
Freeman said Ringgenberg and Schwarze told him to take his hands out of his pocket, and Schwarze took his handcuffs out and he was not not able to get them on him.
As part of the chaotic struggle, which was recounted by Freeman, Schwarze maintained control of Clark’s hand and heard Ringgenberg say, “He’s got my gun.”
Schwarze said he put the gun to the edge of Clark’s mouth. “Let go or I’m going to shoot you,” he said.
“I’m ready to die,” Ringgenberg said Clark told him, according to Freeman.
Schwarze heard Ringgenberg say, “Shoot him” — prompting the firing of the gun.
Clark was shot 61 seconds after police first approached him. No weapon was found on him, Freeman said.
Members of the community had said Clark was handcuffed when he was shot, although the local police union had disputed the claim and said Clark was going after one of the officer’s guns.
Erik Ortiz









