Killing of Leneal Frazier

Leneal Frazier was a 40-year-old African American man who was killed in Minneapolis at about 12:30 a.m. on July 6, 2021, in a car crash with officer Brian Cummings of the Minneapolis Police Department. That night, Cummings was pursuing suspected thieves in a vehicle at a high rate of speed through a residential neighborhood and ran a red light when he unintentionally struck Frazier's vehicle at a street intersection. Frazier, who was an innocent bystander and not involved in the police chase, died at the scene. Cummings faced criminal charges for operating his police vehicle negligently and causing Frazier's death. In mid 2023, he pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of vehicular homicide and received a nine-month prison sentence.

Leneal Frazier was the uncle of Darnella Frazier, a bystander who filmed the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 that led to worldwide protests. Leneal Frazier's death occurred during a period of prolonged, local unrest over racial injustice and police brutality and when Minneapolis was experiencing a surge in crimes such as carjackings and thefts, which led to more intensive law enforcement actions. An attorney for Leneal Frazier's family argued that his death was the result of systemic racism due to the aggressive tactics police use in Black communities. Frazier's death was protested.

The theft suspects were later apprehended and charged with several criminal counts, including fleeing police resulting in death. Prosecutors later dropped some of the criminal charges.