MINNEAPOLIS (AP) 鈥 A former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced Wednesday to nine months in the county workhouse, with eligibility for electric home monitoring in three months, after the officer pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide in a high-speed chase that killed a bystander two years ago.
Prosecutors said former officer Brian Cummings was pursuing a suspected car thief on July 6, 2021, when he ran a red light and hit a car driven by Leneal Frazier, 40, of St. Paul, who died at the scene.
Frazier, a father of six children, was an uncle of Darnella Frazier, who shot of George Floyd鈥檚 death when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd鈥檚 neck in 2020.
Cummings was driving nearly 80 mph (129 kph) in Minneapolis with his siren and lights activated when his squad car slammed into the vehicle, officials said. The crash ended a chase that lasted more than 20 blocks, including through residential neighborhoods where the posted speed limit was 25 mph (40 kph).
Frazier's mother, siblings and children filled the courtroom for sentencing on Wednesday, knowing that Cummings鈥 plea agreement would result in him serving a year or less,
Frazier鈥檚 uncle Dwayne Jackson held an urn with the ashes of his nephew, according to the Tribune, as he told the judge that if a non-officer killed someone, they wouldn鈥檛 be looking at a consequence this light.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not right that the officer gets less time for murder,鈥 said Jackson, the Tribune reported. 鈥淚f we go out and do things like that to each other, we would be blessed at getting a year 鈥 A year? That鈥檚 all he get? It shouldn鈥檛 be like that.鈥
Cummings, who had family and some colleagues there in support, addressed the court by offering 鈥渕y most heartfelt apology in the untimely death of Mr. Frazier," according to the Tribune.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to take this time to acknowledge the great pain and suffering the Frazier family is experiencing,鈥 he said, adding that he hopes the Fraziers can find 鈥減eace and healing, too.鈥
