South Hennepin News

After Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman declined to bring charges against policemen involved in the fatal shooting of a Brooklyn Center man, the family is demanding an independent prosecutor.

The August 2019 shooting of Kobe Dimock-Heisler was considered justified by Hennepin County prosecutors who said officers had reasonable fear that they and the victim's other family members were at risk of great bodily harm or death. Dimock-Heisler had been armed with a knife when officers fired six times.

Shortly after Freeman's announcement, the Twin Cities Coalition Justice 4 Jamar held a press conference saying the community does not accept Freeman's position, demanding an independent prosecutor.

“Amid growing demands for Freeman’s resignation, the people of Hennepin County need someone who’s willing to prosecute police, not act as their defense attorneys,” the coalition said, according to WCCO. “Brooklyn Center police entered an already calm situation and escalated it into a deadly nightmare for Kobe and his loved ones.”

The incident was captured on the officer's body cameras which allowed prosecutors to review the file and previous rulings on the use of deadly force.