#FreemanFridays - New Witness Statement Released

Minneapolis, MN – An unreleased video statement from a witness of Jamar Clark‘s murder was played for Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s colleagues today.

Community members and organizers from Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar came together on Friday, February 26, at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis for the third consecutive week of #FreemanFridays. See Unicorn Riot coverage of February 19 Freeman Fridays action.

Unicorn Riot was there to cover the event live.

Organizers spoke to assistants within Mike Freeman’s office as he was out of the office once again with an injury. The focus was once again on the demand for no grand jury and the prosecution of the police officers, Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze, who murdered Jamar Clark ‘execution style‘.

Witness Dennis Cherry states that gunshot seemed to startle officers. LIVE https://t.co/0drCfJNIa8 #FreemanFridays pic.twitter.com/izjQLbGdKO
— UNICORN RIOT 🦄 https://linktr.ee/unicornriot (@UR_Ninja) February 26, 2016

“The next thing you know a gunshot went off.” – Witness Dennis Cherry

A previously un-released videotaped witness statement by Dennis Cherry addressed to Mike Freeman was played to those representing Mike Freeman’s County Attorney office.

Witness Dennis Cherry states that he was “frightened” when the “gunshot went off” after watching police jostling Jamar to the ground, with one officer on his back. He spoke of the police’s reactions of shock at their own actions:

“It shocked the officer that was sitting on him [Jamar Clark] because he jumped up so fast, in disbelief of what just happened. He started talking to the other officer and they started looking down at the man on the ground.”
Witness Dennis Cherry

Dennis wound down his statement by imploring Freeman to not use the grand jury process in the Jamar Clark case, stating, “since the year 2000, not a single officer who has killed someone has ever been indicted in the state of Minnesota.”

He finished his statement by stating:

“If you push for a grand jury, Mike Freeman, Jamar Clark’s blood is on your hands.”
Witness Dennis Cherry

Witness statements filmed from November 16, 2015, the day after Jamar Clark’s murder during a direct action shutting down I-94 in North Minneapolis have proved to be mostly identical.

Watch the Feb. 26 Freeman Friday action below. As the crowd exited the 20th floor County Attorney’s office, organizer Mel Reeves about the ongoing protests. Jayanthi Kyle can be heard in the background singing her anthem songs:

Mike Freeman’s communication director Chuck Laszewski spoke about the Jamar Clark case going through the grand jury process, as well as its investigation going back to the BCA: