A former Minneapolis officer was sentenced to nine months at the county workhouse on Wednesday for a high speed pursuit that resulted in an innocent St. Paul driver being killed.
Brian Michael Cummings (39), pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular murder in April for the crash on July 6, which killed Leneal Lamont Frazier, 40. Prosecutors dropped the charge of second degree manslaughter in exchange for Cummings’ guilty plea.
Frazier is the uncle of Darnella Frazier. Her video footage of George Floyd being murdered by Minneapolis police in May 2020 sparked global protests.
The sentence of Hennepin County district judge Tamara Garcia deviated from the state sentencing guidelines.
Cummings tried to stop the SUV in North Minneapolis the night before the accident, which he thought was stolen, according to the criminal complaint. Cummings pursued the driver for about 20 blocks, reaching speeds of up to 100 mph.
Cummings, with his squad car lights and sirens on, pursued the SUV along Lyndale Avenue. He then drove through a stop sign at 41st Avenue, and hit Frazier’s Jeep SUV. Frazier died in a hospital.