Body camera video from standoff, fatal shooting at Minneapolis apartment building released

Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman announced the release of body camera video in connection to a deadly police shooting in Minneapolis after an hours-long standoff last week.

Huffman said she watched the video with Tekle Sundberg’s parents earlier Wednesday afternoon.

The short compilation of video segments shown by the city featured four segments of video. The first showed the initial officer responding and knocking on the door of the woman who called and reported the gunshots. At one point, an apparent gunshot is heard and the door appears to get damaged by a bullet.

Other officers then rushed in and, after a couple of minutes and with guns drawn, the woman opens her door and officers escort her and then her two small children out of the apartment.

The next segment shows 20-year-old Andrew Tekle Sundberg on a balcony as officers on the ground outside tell him to put his hands up, say he’s under arrest and they don’t want to hurt him, and urge him to come outside.

Click the video box above to watch Wednesday’s press conference and the bodycam video segments shown by the city.

Officers who arrived at the scene along 21st Avenue South reported hearing more shots being fired and began evacuating the building after seeing debris exploding from the walls.

Police said they tried to communicate with Tekle Sundberg and attempted to reach him via phone call, voicemail, text and video message, along with bringing his parents to the scene to help.

Frey and Huffman wouldn’t comment on the video and officers’ actions amid the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s active investigation.

Roughly six hours after a 911 call was placed reporting the incident, city records report officers Aaron Pearson and Zachary Seraphine fired their rifles, killing Sundberg.

According to Huffman, Pearson and Seraphine didn’t need authorization from anyone before firing, saying it isn’t required by the department’s policy.

While staying away from specifics in the investigation, Mayor Frey did stress they’re trying to be as transparent as possible.

“We’re constantly trying to do things better,” Mayor Frey said, adding: “Again, part of doing things better is making sure that we’re one getting it right and [that] we’re not coming out with information too quickly before we know precisely what happened.”

The city asked any citizens with video of the incident to submit it to the BCA to aid in the investigation.

RELATED: Police shoot, kill man after 6-hour standoff at Minneapolis apartment building

RELATED: 911 transcript related to fatal standoff at Minneapolis apartment building released

Jeff Storms, an attorney representing Sundberg’s family, sent 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the following statement in response to the body camera video being released Wednesday:

“Tekle’s parents continue to send their deepest sympathies to all of those impacted by Tekle’s mental health crisis.  We all recognize what a harrowing experience this was for many.  His parents join in the government’s request for bystanders with video evidence to come forward and provide that video to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension so that everyone can work towards bringing closure to this investigation.”

Jeff Storms

Click the media player below to watch the body camera video.