The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota is blasting the actions by the two Minneapolis police officers who shot and killed Thurman Blevins Junior last month.
Executive Director John Gordon says it illustrates what he calls a national pattern of police using excessive or fatal force against people - particularly people of color - when there isn't any demonstrated need for it.
"When you look at the video, you can see the police come on to a scene that's pretty calm. You've got a guy who is sitting on the curb, you've got a woman, and you've got a stroller. And there is not anything going on there that would indicate that there is an imminent and serious threat of bodily injury or death. Instead of de-escalating, they escalated," says Gordon.
Gordon calls the footage disturbing, terrifying and appalling.
"You can see in the video the gentleman was not brandishing any weapon at the time. There could have been a conversation there. There wasn't."
Gordon is calling for an independent investigation into the actions of the officers.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman has said that the video evidence supports his decision not to press charges against the officers.
