“Initial testimony from witnesses indicates that the person involved in this crime first shot Minneapolis police officers, who exchanged shots with the suspect,” said Arradondo.
“MPD officers left unscathed and an adult woman who was a passenger in this vehicle also came out unscathed,” said Arradondo.
Authorities did not provide details about the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting. Asked about the race of those involved, the police said more information would be released in the coming days, along with the identity of the officers.
The officers had body cameras that were activated, Arradondo said, adding that he plans to release the images on Thursday.
“I want the community to be able to see what happened and I think this is part of us moving forward again and wanting to make sure that we get the facts out.”
Mayor swears ‘total transparency’
The Minnesota Criminal Seizure Department was investigating the scene and gathering “critical evidence,” said the chief.
“Rebuilding that trust will depend on full transparency,” said the mayor. “I am working closely with Chief Arradondo to gather all the facts about what happened tonight and I will be transmitting this information, in coordination with State partners, to the community as soon as possible. We must all be committed to obtaining the facts, seek justice, and maintain peace. “
CNN contacted the city and the mayor’s office.
“I have been looking for community members, religious leaders and others,” said Arradondo.
Addressing the people who were gathering at the scene of the shooting, the chief said: “We want to do everything we can to protect everyone’s First Amendment rights, to meet freely, to demonstrate, but, again, we cannot allow behavior destructive criminal. Our city has been through a lot. ”
If the demonstrations evolve into civil unrest, the chief said he “will make decisions in terms of how we can try to resolve this peacefully”.
“But, I want to emphasize this again, for those out there, we respect them by practicing their First Amendment rights, but we need to keep our officers safe, we need to keep community members safe, and I tell you, we need to preserve the scene. of the crime so that the facts can continue to appear in that regard. “