Edina police won't release dashcam footage of fatal shooting

The Edina Police Department has joined two other law enforcement agencies in its refusal to release dashcam footage of the shooting that killed 30-year-old Brian Quinones last month due to an ongoing investigation.

Quinones was fatally shot near E. 77th Street and Chicago Avenue in Richfield on Sept. 7 after leading Edina police on a chase. Several officers from Edina and Richfield opened fire seconds after Quinones exited the vehicle with what appeared to be a knife.

The encounter, parts of which were captured on seven squad-car dash cameras, is being investigated by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.

Edina police met privately with Quinones' family this week to show them portions of the video, but the department announced Thursday that it won't release the footage.

"Because the city does not want to jeopardize Hennepin County's investigation, the videos will not be made public at this time," officials wrote in a statement.

Richfield police echoed that decision Thursday.

"The city understands the public's desire to view this data," Lt. Brad Drayna said in a statement. "However, at this time, that data is deemed not public under state law and will not be released."

There is no body-camera footage of the incident because Edina does not use the technology, and Richfield is testing it in limited numbers; none of the cameras were at the scene.

Most videos related to police shootings have been withheld from the public in Minnesota until the cases were resolved. Pressure from activists and community leaders, as well as changing trends across the country, have prompted local authorities in recent years to release them earlier.

In the days following Quinones' death, authorities committed to look into releasing the footage before the investigation was completed. Drayna never provided a timeline for doing so but said in mid-September that it would be made public "in the near future."

Thursday's decision signaled a reversal by both departments to do so.

Quinones, who lived in Richfield, livestreamed the pursuit on Facebook, capturing himself jumping out of his vehicle with what appeared to be a knife, along with obscured views of officers running up to him. Images of the shooting itself were not captured on his video, although the sound of police yelling at him and gunfire can be heard.

He posted an apology on social media minutes before the altercation began, causing some to conclude that he had intended for the night to end in police gunfire.

Staff writer Chao Xiong contributed to this report. Liz Sawyer • 612-673-4648