Freeman declines charges in Clark shooting

3/30/2016

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Wednesday that he would not be charging Minneapolis Police Officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze in the shooting death of Jamar Clark.

Freeman said that a thorough four-month investigation after the Nov. 15 shooting revealed that Clark was not handcuffed at any time. Police were called to the scene because Clark had been identified as a suspect in a domestic assault and was interfering with paramedics' efforts to treat the victim.

When Ringgenberg and Schwarze arrived, they ordered Clark to remove his hands from his pockets to make sure he did not have a gun. When he refused, the officers moved in and attempted to handcuff Clark. When he resisted, Ringgenberg took Clark to the ground and landed on top of him. However, Ringgenberg felt his gun move to the small of his back. When he reached for it, he felt Clark's hand on the gun, an account that was supported by DNA evidence.

Schwarze threatened to shoot Clark if he did not release the gun. Clark refused to do so and Schwarze shot Clark in the head. Officer Schwarze's actions were reasonable because if Clark successfully pulled the gun from the holster, Ringgenberg and Schwarze would have been shot and other bystanders might have been hit as well, Freeman said.

After detailing the events of that night, Freeman also showed video from a bystander and cameras in two different ambulances.

Directly below are links to the report from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Mike Freeman's statement from March 30, as well as videos and most of the evidence reviewed by the prosecutors.

Press conference documents

Report

• Report of the Hennepin County Attorney's Office regarding the shooting death of Jamar Clark on November 15, 2015 (PDF)

Mike Freeman's statement – March 30, 2016

1. Introduction of decision (PDF)
2. Legal standards explanation (PDF)
3. Clark chronology (PDF)

Videos shown during press conference

• Braylock (YouTube)
• Ambulance Clark rear view – reversed (YouTube)
• Ambulance Hayes rear view – reversed (YouTube)
• Ambulance Hayes rear view – reversed 2 (YouTube)
• Ambulance Hayes rear view – reversed 3 (YouTube)
• Ambulance Hayes rear view – reversed 4 (YouTube)

News conference – March 30, 2016

• March 30 news conference (YouTube)

Alphabetized list of related videos, audio, and documents

911 audio and transcript

• 911 call (WAV)
• HC deputies en route call (WAV)
• Ch 2 dispatch 1 (WAV)
• Ch 2 dispatch 2 (WAV)
• MDC – redacted (PDF)

Ambulance videos – Jamar Clark (YouTube)

• Clark Front (YouTube)
• Clark Front HF (YouTube)
• Clark Interior (YouTube)
• Clark Interior HF (YouTube)
• Clark Rear (YouTube)
• Clark Rear HF (YouTube)

Ambulance videos – RayAnn Hayes

• Hayes Front (YouTube)
• Hayes Front HF (YouTube)
• Hayes Interior (YouTube)
• Hayes Interior HF (YouTube)
• Hayes Rear (YouTube)
• Hayes Rear HF (YouTube)

Autopsy report

• Autopsy report of Jamar Clark (PDF)
• Findings and order disclosing Medical Examiner data (PDF)
• Petition to authorize disclosure of Medical Examiner data (PDF)

BCA lab reports and photos – redacted

• BCA lab analysis requests and reports 1–21 (PDF)
• Photos – BCA crime lab (PDF 5MB)

BCA reports – redacted

• BCA reports 1–122 (PDF 40MB)

Danny Braylock cell phone video

• Braylock – witness (YouTube)

Dennis Cherry YouTube video

• Cherry – witness (YouTube)

Fleeing case – July 2015

• Dispatch audio (WAV)
• Dispatch 15-283056 (PDF)
• Implied consent advisory (YouTube)
• Photo P1000015 (GIF)
• Photo P1000016 (GIF)
• Photo P1000017 (GIF)
• Photo P1000018 (GIF)
• Reports 15-280552, supps 1–3, stolen vehicle (PDF)
• Reports 15-283056, supps 1–18, fleeing (PDF)
• Reports 15-283246, supps 1–3, squad accident (PDF)
• Squad video, squad2015_1b (YouTube)
• Squad video, squad2015_2exterior (YouTube)
• Squad video, squad2015_2interior (YouTube)
• Statements – Jamar Clark (WAV 147MB)

Incident detail reports

• IDR redacted (PDF)
• IDR 1 (PDF)
• IDR 2 (PDF)

Jamar Clark photos at HCMC

• Jamar Clark – MPD crime lab (PDF 44MB)
• Jamar Clark – Sgt. Karakostas (PDF)

MPD reports – redacted

• Supps 1–97 (PDF)
• Supps 1–6 (PDF)

Officer photos – MPD crime lab

• Officers Schwarze and Ringgenberg (PDF 34MB)

Pole camera surveillance video

• PoleCam (YouTube)

Public housing surveillance videos

• Public housing east exterior exit (YouTube)
• Public housing mech (YouTube)
• Public housing SE exterior (YouTube)

Scene photos – MPD crime lab

• Scene photos – Part 1 (PDF 42MB)
• Scene photos – Part 2 (PDF 45MB)
• Scene photos – Part 3 (PDF 40MB)
• Scene photos – Part 4 (PDF 40MB)
• Scene photos – Part 5 (PDF 12MB)

Scene video

• Scene video (YouTube)

Search warrants

• Finding and order – DNA of RayAnn Hayes (PDF)
• Finding and order – HCMC amb run report for Jamar Clark (PDF)
• Finding and order – HCMC amb run report for RayAnn Hayes (PDF)
• Finding and order – pen register for known phone number (PDF)
• Search warrant – DNA of RayAnn Hayes (PDF)
• Search warrant – HCMC amb run report for Jamar Clark (PDF)
• Search warrant – HCMC amb run report for RayAnn Hayes (PDF)
• Search warrant – pen register for known phone number (PDF)

ShotSpotter audio

• 33 (WAV)
• 37 (WAV)
• 55 (WAV)
• 56 (WAV)

Squad videos

• SquadP76657 (YouTube)
• SquadP76699 (YouTube)
• SquadP76703_EXT (YouTube)
• SquadP76703_INT (YouTube)
• SquadP76706_EXT (YouTube)
• SquadPark02239 (YouTube)

External video

• Video obtained from a known adult female (YouTube)