Federal authorities said Wednesday that they would not pursue civil rights charges against two Minneapolis police officers in the fatal shooting of Jamar Clark, a decision met with both outrage and resignation by activists who for months have demanded prosecution, reports the Star Tribune.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, leaning heavily on whether Clark was handcuffed by police before being shot and other factors, said there was insufficient evidence to bring a federal case.
"I want you to understand that this is one of the highest legal standards under criminal law," Luger told reporters at FBI offices in Brooklyn Center. "It is not enough to show the officers made a mistake, that they acted negligently, by accident or even that they exercised bad judgment to prove a crime. We would have had to show that they specifically intended to commit a crime."
Minneapolis Police Union President Lt. Bob Kroll lauded the decision but blasted city officials for creating "a dangerous and unproductive atmosphere," according to news reports. Kroll called Black Lives Matter, the organization that led protests in the wake of the shooting, a "terrorist organization."
