(The Center Square) –Days after police killed 20-year-old Andrew Tekle Sundberg – who was allegedly firing a gun inside a three-floor apartment after a six-hour standoff – Minnesotans are clashing over whether police made the right decision.
A mother with two young children called police at 9:30 p.m. on July 13, saying there were shots fired through her apartment building wall on the 900 block of 21st Avenue South. Police evacuated the building, but say in a search warrant they were fired upon. They then called Minneapolis Police Department SWAT.
Snipers fatally shot the man at about 4:30 a.m. Prior negotiations with the shooter failed, including bringing the man’s parents to the site, calling Sundberg’s cell phone, and leaving messages. The man was transported to Hennepin Healthcare where he later died.
A viral video from KARE11 shows a group of protesters at the apartment on Saturday, angry over Sundberg’s death.
The protestors were interrupted by Arabella Foss-Yarbrough, the woman who lived in the apartment directly next door to Sundberg. Foss-Yarbrough told protestors to “go home” because this is “not a George Floyd situation,” she said, explaining Sundberg was armed and firing through her apartment.
“My kids probably have a mental illness now because they almost lost their lives,” Foss-Yarbrough said. “There are bullet holes in my kitchen…. He tried to kill me in front of my kids.”
Sundberg’s family has retained Ben Crump, a high-profile attorney who won a record $27 million settlement against the city of Minneapolis for the death of George Floyd.
Crump tweeted: “This is Tekle Sundberg. Minneapolis Police Department killed this smart, loving & artistic 20-year-old after an hours-long standoff while he was experiencing a mental health crisis. We need ANSWERS from MPD as to why Tekle’s mental health crisis became a death sentence!”
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will conduct an independent investigation.
A Gofundme to cover Sundberg’s funeral costs has nearly reached its goal of $20,000.
A separate Gofundme for Foss-Yarbrough is at nearly $49,000, surpassing a $10,000 goal.
