Father: Terrance Franklin shot in back of head
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The father of a man killed by Minneapolis police earlier this month says Terrance Franklin was shot in the back of the head.
Franklin, 22, was shot to death in the basement of a south Minneapolis home May 10 after he had apparently broken into a home to escape police who were pursuing him as a burglary suspect. Two officers were also wounded.
At a news conference, Franklin's father, Walter Franklin, said his son was shot in the back of the head. Reporters asked Franklin and his lawyer, Mike Padden, how they knew that information.
"Don't worry, I know. Don't worry about that," Franklin told reporters.
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"He looked at the body, sir. He looked at the body," Padden said.
The preliminary report from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's indicates Franklin died of gunshot wounds, but does not include the location of those wounds.
Padden also said in a video recorded using a cell phone on the night of the incident an officer can be heard using a racial epithet.
In a statement, Minneapolis Chief of Police Janee Harteau said the accusations are "preposterous" and "without merit". Harteau said she has listened to the video and did not hear the epithet.
Harteau also said in the statement, "This attorney owes the Minneapolis Police Department, Metro Transit Police Department and the community a public apology."
Supporters of Franklin said they are planning to protest police handling of the case starting about 5:30 p.m. Friday in downtown Minneapolis at the Hennepin County Government Center. Organizer Mel Reeves said that he and others have growing doubts that the shooting was justified.
"There'll be some people that will say, 'well the police have said this is legitimate, so you know, why do people want to protest,'" Reeves said. "And that's the problem. It doesn't sound legitimate. There's too much speculation. It just doesn't feel right."
Minneapolis police have said the shooting is under investigation, but have publicly offered few details into the circumstances of the shootings.
