Minneapolis police release bodycam video of fatal shooting of suspected felon

Minneapolis police on Thursday released body-camera video in which a motorist was shot in an exchange of gunfire, the city's first police-involved death since George Floyd died in May while in police custody. 

The incident occurred at about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday during a traffic stop at a gas station on the city's south side, about a mile from where Floyd died.

Residents protested at the gas station and elsewhere in the city. But there have so far been no reports of violence or property damage similar to what happened in cities across the country after the death of Floyd, a black male.

Police said the motorist was a suspected felon and that witnesses say he fired first. He has been identified as Dolal Idd – a Somali American.

The city released a clip from one officer's body-camera in two versions. One version was slowed down to make it easier to follow. The video showed the man attempting to drive away from the police before his vehicle was blocked, then showed him looking through his driver's side window at the officers, according to the Associated Press. 

The driver's window shatters, an officer is heard swearing, and at least a dozen shots are fired.

Chief Medaria Arradondo said a gun was found at the scene. No officers were injured in the incident, nor was a female passenger.

Arradondo, when asked whether the officers used reasonable force, said they reacted to a deadly threat.

He also said upon looking at the videos, particularly the slow-motion version, "Certainly it appears the individual inside the vehicle fires his weapon at the officers first."

Arradondo said the man was stopped as part of a weapons investigation.

Online court records showed minor traffic charges against Idd, a felony theft conviction in 2018 and a felony drug conviction in 2017. The records also included a misdemeanor conviction in 2019 for carrying a pistol in a public place, the wire service also reports.