Rally and march for Terrance Franklin 5-year remembrance
Minneapolis, MN – On May 10, over 50 people gathered for a rally and march on the five-year anniversary of the murder of Terrance Franklin by the Minneapolis Police Department. The event was called by Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J) and was endorsed by Terrance’s family.
Terrance Franklin, who was also known as Mookie, was murdered by cops Lucas Peterson and Michael Meath on May 10, 2013, in south Minneapolis because he was Black. Franklin was unarmed, and had not committed a crime, yet MPD sent an excessive amount of patrols and cops, including a helicopter looking for him. MPD chased Franklin into the basement of a home in the Uptown neighborhood.
His murderers, Minneapolis police officers Michael Meath and Lucas Peterson, have 19 excessive force complaints combined – no discipline on any of them. Lucas Peterson has had 13 excessive force complaints against him since he joined MPD in 2000, costing over $700,000 in settlements. Peterson murdered another Black person, Christopher Burns, on Nov. 1, 2002. Peterson was also on the defunct Metro Gang Strike Force (MGSF) in 2006 and was one of the officers investigated in 2009 when the state shut down the MGSF for corruption including improper searches, seizing property without authorization (often kept for personal use or sold), and injuries to people who were not suspects. The MGSF cost the state $3 million in settlements with victims of their misconduct.
Terrance Franklin was contained in a small basement, and MPD sent a police dog and five cops, and instead of apprehending him alive, they were heard (and video taped by a witness) calling Franklin racial slurs and declaring its too late and then shot him with ten bullets, seven in his head, and in his armpit indicating his hands were up. Later that night, after the MPD murdered Terrance in cold blood, they then hit and killed a motorist when they ran a red light.
Three mayors, two police chiefs, two police federation presidents, and numerous city council members later, there is still no justice for Terrance Franklin. The media, police, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, and city officials have denied Terrance Franklin justice through smears, judicial maneuvers and cover-ups. This is a testament that the system had denied Franklin justice.
The demonstration began at 5 p.m. and speeches at 6 p.m. This was followed by a march which blocked major traffic arteries of south Minneapolis for almost an hour. Many family members and friends spoke and led chants.
Sam Sanchez, an organizer for TCC4J, rallied the crowd, stating, “The fight for Mookie was one that taught many prior to the Black Lives Matters movement how important it was to fight against police crimes. Many involved in the movement first started in the fight for #Justice4TerranceFranklin. This fight resonated with people of all nationalities. Mookie’s murder was pre-meditation and it was racially motivated. First the police used racial slurs and then said, ‘it’s too late to raise your hands now!’ There is video evidence! Later that evening, the police killed a motorist when they ran a red a light no-reason.”
Sanchez continued, “To this date, five years later, this is still no justice! Why? Because the system has protected itself. The police, to the mayor, to the County Attorney Mike Freeman. This is why we need community control of the police. We the people need the power! This is about self-determination in our communities. Black, brown, indigenous communities and all workers including white workers are targets of police terror. Now even rich white women in ruling class neighborhoods aren’t safe. They killed Justine Damond. No one is exempt for the police who enforce the rule of the rich elite!”
The rally and march concluded at 7:30 p.m.