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Vol. 74/No. 39      October 18, 2010

 
Minneapolis action demands
justice in 2006 killing by cop
(front page)
 
BY NATALIE MORRISON  
MINNEAPOLIS—Hundreds of people gathered here October 2 for a rally and press conference to demand justice for Fong Lee and prosecution of police officer Jason Andersen, who killed the 19-year-old Hmong youth on July 22, 2006. The demonstration took place at the Cityview Elementary School in North Minneapolis, where Fong Lee was chased down and shot eight times by Andersen, three in the back and side, followed by five bullets in the chest while Lee was laying wounded on the ground.

The demonstration attracted a determined crowd of many young people from the Hmong community. Also expressing solidarity with the Lee family were several Blacks and Latinos, who have fought battles against police brutality.

Daryl Robinson, vice president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, a Black man who was beaten by cops in 2001 and again in 2009, said, “The judges, the jury, the police department were all part of the cover-up… . when Andersen started chasing Fong Lee, he was on a crime spree.”

Because much of the chase scene by the cop who killed Lee was caught on school surveillance cameras, it is widely understood the firearm “found” at the scene was planted by the police. An all-white jury acquitted Andersen of any wrongdoing in 2009, finding that he had not used “excessive force.” Earlier, Minneapolis Police Chief Timothy Dolan had awarded Andersen the Medal of Valor for his actions in shooting down Lee.

After being fully exonerated in the Lee case, Andersen has continued his abuse. In September 2009 Dolan fired Andersen over a domestic assault charge. After being reinstated onto the police force, Andersen was then indicted on federal charges for kicking a Black teenager in the head. The chief of police fired Andersen a second time on September 22 for violating the police department’s “truthfulness” code over the incident with the Black youth.

Numerous rallies have been organized over the past four years to keep drawing attention to the killing of Fong Lee by the cops. His family is also planning to continue legal action to demand justice in the case.  
 
 
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