No Civil Rights Charges for Killing Jamar Clark

By Kenrya Rankin Jun 01, 2016

Back in March, the Hennepin County attorney declined to indict the two Minneapolis Police Department officers who were involved in the shooting death of Jamar Clark. Today (June 1), the federal government also opted not to charge Officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze for killing the unarmed Black man.

According to The Associated Press, Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger decided not to file criminal civil rights charges against the officers, citing insufficient evidence to prove that they employed excessive force to intentionally violate Clark’s rights.

Schwarze shot Clark, 24, in the head on November 15, 2015, after the officers were called to break up a domestic dispute. Witnesses said Clark was handcuffed at the time of the shooting, but Lugar said at a press conference that Clark’s DNA was not on the cuffs and that he didn’t have any bruising on his wrists. “The evidence suggested that Mr. Clark was not handcuffed when he was shot,” he said during a press conference.

The U.S. Department of Justice is still investigating how city officials responded to the protests that broke out as citizens demanded #Justice4Jamar. The AP reports that at least one federal lawsuit has been filed alleging excessive force during a demonstration last November.