An intimate ceremony at Minneapolis' Shiloh Temple on Monday marked the life and death of Leneal Frazier, a 40-year-old Black man who died this month after a police squad car struck his vehicle during a high-speed chase.
Loved ones honor Leneal Frazier, motorist killed during north Minneapolis police chase
Leneal Frazier, 40, was killed when officer ran light during police pursuit.
July 20, 2021 at 12:06AM
The funeral drew friends and family from as far as Frazier's hometown of St. Louis, Mo., along with civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump and relatives of George Floyd, a Black man murdered last year by a former Minneapolis police officer.
Crump said Frazier's death is another instance of police traumatizing Black families. "An innocent man minding his business, traveling in his neighborhood home to see his family and gets killed because you violated a policy," Crump said.
"I look at Jacqueline, his mother, and she weeps. We have to say no more innocent Black people being killed at the hands of the police for violating their policies."
Crump, who represents the family of George Floyd, has returned to Minneapolis numerous times since his death, including to Shiloh Temple for the funeral of Daunte Wright, a Black man killed by a Brooklyn Center police officer in April.
According to a police report, Minneapolis police officer Brian Cummings was pursuing a suspect in an armed carjacking and one or more robberies on July 6 when he ran a red light at N. Lyndale and 41st avenues. Cummings hit the driver's side of Frazier's SUV, pushing it into a minivan stopped at a red light and then into a Metro Transit bus shelter.
Frazier was taken to a hospital, where he later was pronounced dead.
His family members have called for Cummings to be fired and criminally prosecuted. He remains on critical incident leave.
Frazier's niece is Darnella Frazier, whose video of Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck was viewed worldwide and earned her a Pulitzer Prize special citation.
Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, was among those who attended the funeral Monday. He thanked the Frazier family for supporting his family during the Chauvin trial, and offered the same in return.
"It just hurts to know that Darnella Frazier lost somebody that she loved. I was thinking about this since the day it happened," he said.
"You've all been behind us from day one and we'll continue to fight for you all and apply pressure. … We are united as one."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced July 8 that the city will review its police pursuit policy, which says police may not initiate a pursuit or must end one if it "poses an unreasonable risk to the officers, the public or passengers of the vehicle being pursued who may be unwilling participants."
On Monday, a long line of Leneal Frazier's loved ones shared the microphone to tell stories about his humor and wisdom.
He often quoted scripture, they said, and adored his only grandchild, Zayonna Toliver. He loved rap music and barbecue.
Two of Frazier's six children spoke, as well as his brother, Orlando. Daughter Lanesha Frazier talked about missing her "best friend."
After speaking, daughter Jamie Bradford walked away from the podium and fell to her knees, crying.
Following the service, everyone gathered at Minneapolis' Boom Island Park alongside a life-size cutout of a smiling Frazier to enjoy his favorite things: music and food bringing his family together.
Kim Hyatt • 612-673-4751
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