Three days after a chain of events in Uptown left two people dead and two Minneapolis police officers injured, authorities Monday declined to answer questions that would fill in crucial blank spots about what happened and what role officers played.
On Friday, a burglary suspect was shot and killed during an altercation with two officers, who were shot in the legs. A police vehicle responding to the scene 30-plus minutes after the shooting collided with a motorcyclist, killing the driver and injuring his passenger.
Council Member Meg Tuthill said she has been fielding many questions from residents in her Uptown ward and canceled a monthly constituent lunch on Monday after realizing there "would be a million questions that I can't answer for them."
Police Chief Janeé Harteau declined Monday to speak directly about the incidents, using most of the day to kick off the department's National Police Week activities, including an awards ceremony and visits to precinct stations.
Harteau said she wasn't answering questions because of the ongoing investigation into the shooting death of Terrance T. Franklin, 22, and a desire to keep attention on those who had just received commendations for heroic work in 2012.
"I do want to concentrate on the heroism and those that we honored here today," she told a group of reporters gathered for the ceremony at the department's special operations center in north Minneapolis.
Franklin's girlfriend, Ashley Martin, 21, asked Monday for more information, telling TV stations outside police headquarters that Franklin didn't have a gun and she is suspicious about what happened.
Police released information about the incidents over the weekend and on Friday, including a news conference in which Harteau answered questions Friday night.