Death of Khalil Azad: Police release bodycam video; family asks for more transparency
By: Police released bodycam footage Tuesday afternoon that appears to show officers unsuccessfully searching for Khalil Ahmad Azad after he allegedly ran away after crashing an SUV following a police pursuit last summer, two days before a bystander spotted his body near the shore of Crystal Lake.
The Robbinsdale Police Department released several hours of footage from three officers who responded to the scene along with dashcam video from squads, showing them on scene as they searched for Azad, a 24-year-old who was a soon-to-be father at the time of his death. Police say Azad had fled on foot after losing control of and then crashing his car following a brief police chase, with the crash occurring about a block away from the lake.
Dashcam video shows the chase, with the vehicle going into opposite lanes County Road 81 at 40th Avenue North, before the car goes off the road and onto Lakeland Avenue North.
Azad does not appear in the footage released by police. The video does show officers going through Azad's vehicle and speaking with two other people in Azad's vehicle – who remained at the scene.
The officers are heard discussing setting up a perimeter on neighboring streets and running a flashlight through the brush near the lake. Later, an officer inquires about bringing a canine dog in to assist with the search.
With the video release, the Minnesota BCA confirmed its Force Investigation Unit will examine Azad's death at the request of the Robbinsdale Police Department.