A Minneapolis police officer has been charged in connection to a police pursuit that led to a fatal crash that killed the uncle of Darnella Frazier.  

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According to the Associated Press, officer Brian Cummings of the Minneapolis Police Department has been charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide. In July, he was involved in a police chase of a stolen car but slammed into another vehicle, killing 40-year-old Leneal Frazier.  

Leneal Frazier is the uncle of Darnella Frazier, the then-teen who recorded the video of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, resulting in his death. Darnella Frazier also testified in Chauvin’s trial and won a Pulitzer Prize for her courage in recording Chauvin’s actions.  

RELATED: Darnella Frazier, Teen Who Recorded Murder of George Floyd, Awarded a Pulitzer Prize  

“Police are supposed to protect and serve citizens and to act in a manner consistent with their sworn oath to do so. Officer Cummings’ actions deviated from his oath and his negligence caused the death of Leneal Frazier,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said.  

The victim’s family welcomed the charges as they called for police accountability in the death of their loved one. The family attorneys Ben Crump and Jeff Storms released a statement saying they were grateful for the charges.  

“The Frazier family and our legal team are grateful for the charges brought against Brian Cummings for the reckless killing of Leneal Frazier. We commend the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for having the courage to hold law enforcement accountable in this instance,” the statement read. “No innocent civilian should ever lose their life because of unwarranted high-speed chases in residential neighborhoods. This case shines a light on how far we have to go in the pursuit of safe and just policing in America. High-speed pursuit policies in Minneapolis and across America must be better written and stringently enforced to protect innocent civilians. This is only the first step in getting full justice for the Frazier family in this tragic and preventable loss.”