Unarmed Black Man Shot By Minneapolis Cop May Have Been Handcuffed: Authorities

By Rachel Cromidas in News on Nov 18, 2015 3:07PM

An unarmed, black man was fatally shot during a dispute with a police officer in north Minneapolis early Sunday morning, and it is unclear to authorities whether he had already been handcuffed when police shot him.

Jamar ONeal Clark, 24, died a day after police responding to an assault report around 12:45 a.m. Sunday saw Clark interfering with paramedics who were helping a wounded person, tried to calm him, and then ended up in a struggle, according to authorities. An officer fired at least once, fatally wounding Clark in the head.

The shooting has sparked protests that blocked highway traffic in Minneapolis and led to at least 42 arrests, according to the Tribune. State investigators are trying to determine whether Clark, who was not armed with a weapon, might have already been restrained by police when he was shot. Some witnesses say he was, and a video of the incident is unclear, according to authorities.

The FBI is conducting a civil rights investigation into the shooting, and state officials said they are giving their investigation "top priority."

Clark's brother, Jamine Robinson, 32, told the Associated Press that he wants the officer who shot Clark"to be arrested, prosecuted and put in jail for eternity. Life without parole."

The incident comes just over a year after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked national outrage over police misconduct and use of force.