Latest: Union head says Minneapolis police should crack down
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The latest in the investigation into the fatal shooting of a black man by Minneapolis police that has sparked days of demonstrations (all times local):
5 p.m.
The head of the Minneapolis police union says the department should take a tougher stance with protesters camping out at a north side precinct near the site where an unarmed black man was fatally shot by officers.
The city's 4th Precinct has been the center of protests since the shooting early Sunday morning of 24-year old Jamar Clark. Clark was shot once in the head in what police say was a scuffle with officers responding to an assault. Some community members have alleged Clark was handcuffed at the time, which police dispute.
Union head Bob Kroll says officers are under fire in a chaotic situation and no one has been arrested. He says tents and campfires shouldn't be allowed.
Chief Janee (juh-NAY') Harteau says police have been hit with pepper spray, bottles, rocks and bricks. She has praised officers for what she said is restraint under tough circumstances and said police will arrest people where they have enough evidence.
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2:30 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison is upset with police who he believes pointed a gun at his son, Jeremiah, during protests outside a Minneapolis police station over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man.
The Minneapolis Democrat, who is black, posted on his Twitter account Thursday that a Star Tribune photo showing his son and an officer in riot gear was "agonizing" to see. He says it shows his son was peacefully protesting with his hands up, while the officer is shouldering a gun.
The photo has been circulating on social media. It was taken Wednesday night amid protests taking place at the station since another officer shot Jamar Clark in a confrontation Sunday.
It's not clear if the officer shown in the photo was pointing the gun directly at Ellison's son.
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1:45 p.m.
Leaders of the NAACP are appealing for Minneapolis police to exercise restraint in dealing with protests over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by an officer.
Police used a chemical irritant to control protesters Wednesday night outside a north Minneapolis police station where a makeshift encampment has been set up and hundreds of demonstrators have gathered since Sunday's shooting of Jamar Clark.
Tensions had been high since earlier Wednesday, when police moved to clear protesters out of the vestibule of the station. A police spokesman said officers used the irritant after rocks and bottles were thrown at them.
Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, told reporters Thursday it shows there's been a "militarization" of the department. She asked the community to exercise restraint, too.
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1:30 p.m.
The NAACP is organizing a candlelight vigil and march for Friday evening outside a Minneapolis police station that's been the scene of protests since the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a police officer.
Speaking at a news conference outside the station Thursday, Stephen Green, national director of the NAACP's youth and college division, called for a candlelight vigil and march there starting at 4:30 p.m. Friday. He said the weather may be cold, but people's hearts are burning for justice for Jamar Clark.
Clark was shot by an officer Sunday.
Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, renewed demands for investigators to release video of the shooting. She rejected authorities' claims that releasing video would compromise the integrity of the investigation.