A Minneapolis Police officer was charged with manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide after running a red light and colliding with a driver, resulting in their death

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A Minneapolis Police officer was charged with manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide after running a red light and colliding with a driver, resulting in their death
A Minneapolis Police officers unrolls caution tape at a crime scene on June 16, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
  • A Minneapolis police officer was charged with criminal vehicular homicide and second-degree manslaughter in connection to a car accident in July.
  • Prosecutors say the officer struck a civilian's car while traveling 78 miles per hour.
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A Minneapolis Police officer was charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide for his involvement in a car accident that led to the death of one person in July.

Prosecutors say the officer, Brian Cummings, was in a high-speed chase pursuing a car-jacking suspect when he drove through a red light and struck the vehicle of 40-year-old Leneal Frazier, leading to Frazier's death.

According to a local investigation, Cummings' vehicle hit speeds of up to 100 miles per hour while driving through residential areas during the chase.

The investigation also showed that Cummings' car struck Frazier's at the intersection while going 78 miles per hour - well above the legal speed limit in the area.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a statement that Cummings failed to serve the citizens of Minneapolis.

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"Police are supposed to protect and serve citizens and to act in a manner consistent with their sworn oath to do so, Freeman said. "Officer Cummings' actions deviated from his oath and his negligence caused the death of Leneal Frazier."

The victim, Frazier, was also the uncle of Darnella Frazier, the teenager who recorded the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin.

"MINNEAPOLIS police Killed my uncle. … Another Black man lost his life in the hands of the police!" Darnella Frazier posted to Facebook in July after the crash. "Minneapolis police cost my whole family a big loss … today has been a day full of heartbreak and sadness."

Frazier's family is being represented by famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who also worked with the families of George Floyd and Daunte Wright.

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