Protesters question Khalil Azad’s cause of death

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Death of Khalil Azad: Students join family in protest questioning police narrative

Student activists and the family of Khalil Ahmad Azad, who was found dead two days after an encounter with the Robbinsdale Police Department last summer, held a rally in downtown Minneapolis Monday questioning the circumstances of his death and calling for the release of body cam footage and an independent investigation. 

Azad, 24, was found on the shoreline of Crystal Lake in July 2022, two days after allegedly fleeing from Robbinsdale police when he was pulled over for suspected DWI.

The Robbinsdale police claim at 1:27 a.m. on July 3, 2022, officers attempted to pull Azad over on the 4200 block of County Road 81, and he took off with a male and female passenger in the car.  According to police, officers pursued, and Azad lost control of the vehicle, hit a curb and a tree, and then fled on foot. Police say after Azad fled on foot, and no officer or police dog had any contact with him. 

Activists and the family point to photos of the decomposed body that have been widely circled on social media. They believe the photos show dog bites and other injuries on Azad’s body that police have inflicted. 

Catch Up Quick 

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⚖️ The man accused of fatally shooting 9-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith while she jumped on a trampoline in Minneapolis in May 2021 has pleaded guilty. 

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Hopkins teen hangout The Depot could close despite efforts to keep it afloat

This year marks the 25th anniversary of a popular hangout for teenagers in the west metro.

But its future is now up in the air.

The Depot Coffee House in Hopkins has been a safe haven for teenagers for nearly a quarter of a century, but soon the student-run business could pour its last cup of coffee.

The City of Hopkins, which operates the coffee shop with three other community partners, posted a letter on social media saying they plan to suspend operations at the coffee house on April 2.

The city says the Depot facility and program manager submitted his resignation last month, and they determined The Depot didn’t have enough money to re-hire him.

The Depot Youth Board says it has enough funding to continue holding music and late night events until early next year, but closing the coffee house would leave a hole in the community.

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