Man Killed During Police Chase Was Uncle Of Teen Who Filmed And Posted George Floyd’s Murder
Darnella Frazier received a citation and special award from the Pulitzer Prize board after bringing the murder of George Floyd to the nation's attention.
The teenager who famously captured George Floyd’s murder last year and posted it online announced that her uncle was killed during a police pursuit this week in Minneapolis.
Darnella Frazier, 18, took to Facebook to say that 40-year-old Leneal Lamont Frazier was the innocent victim of a car crash that occurred when a Minneapolis police officer struck his vehicle during a high-speed chase.
Leneal Frazier was not involved in the pursuit, according to Fox 9 News, but died as a result of his injuries.
“I honestly can’t believe I’m making this post right now,” captioned Darnella Frazier on her Facebook page on Tuesday. “MINNEAPOLIS police Killed my Uncle (breaking heart emoji). MY uncle… Another black man lost his life in the hands of the police!”
Darnella published several snapshots and photos with the post, including images of the car accident, text messages, and news articles. She also posted a link to a GoFundMe page seeking to raise $100,000.
“Minneapolis police has cost my family a big loss,” she continued. “…today has been a day full of heartbreak and sadness.”
On Tuesday morning, Minneapolis officers spotted a car belonging to an armed robbery suspect, according to Fox 9. During the chase, the squad car struck Leneal’s vehicle as it was crossing an intersection. The squad car then hit a second car, the station reported.
The officer was taken to the hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver in the second car was unharmed and the armed robbery suspect fled the scene.
“It’s not fair how the police can just go around killing people…,” Darnella continued on Facebook. “WHY ARE YOU DOING A HIGH-SPEED CHASE ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD???”
Darnella Frazier gained national recognition at 17 when she captured the May 2020 murder of George Floyd and posted the footage on Facebook. The spotlight she brought to the case, coupled with her testimony, led to the murder conviction of ex-cop Derek Chauvin in April.
Frazier received a citation and special award from the Pulitzer Prize board.
After receiving criticism for Tuesday's Facebook post, the 18-year-old followed up with a new statement.
“I never said the police killed him on purpose,” Darnella stated in the latter post. “I said it was the police’s fault. I never said it had anything to do with race, because if this was a black cop, I’d feel the same way. I honestly don’t even know the race of the cop. I just know it was a police officer behind the wheel.
“Before the media goes putting out a false narrative, I’ll control my own narrative,” Darnella wrote. She explained that she never dismissed the fault of the robbery suspect but that police shouldn’t have sped through a residential road.
“I have every right to feel the way I feel,” she said. “We can never just express emotions without being criticized. The same emotions everyone else has…”
The GoFundMe page describes Leneal as a “protector” and a father of five children.