A Minnesota legal official has declined to charges in relation to the death of Khalil Azad.
On July 3, 2022, Azad was in his vehicle, speeding away from police at a traffic stop, starting driving in the wrong direction, and eventually crashed, CBS News and Fox 9 reported. He then fled on foot into a wooded area, where he vanished.
The 24-year-old’s body was spotted two days later, and an autopsy determined that his cause of death was from “freshwater drowning” in Crystal Lake, stating that it was accidental. Despite this, his family believed that there was more to the story and claimed Azad was wounded by police and had dog bite marks based on autopsy photos, per the outlets.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office said there was no indication of injuries or that his death was “either self-inflicted or caused by another person.”
Following an independent probe from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Hennepin County attorney Mary Moriarty announced the decision not to file charges, citing a lack of evidence of “inappropriate behavior by law enforcement” and adding that officers did not have physical contact with Azad after the traffic stop.
“The investigation also did not reveal evidence that any member of law enforcement did anything other than seek in earnest to locate Khalil, utilizing multiple officers from multiple agencies, multiple K9s, a State Patrol helicopter, and thermal imaging, and trying to acquire information from the two others who had been in the same vehicle,” Moriarty said.
The BCA’s review came after being asked by the Robbinsdale Police Department to look into the matter. They also released multiple body camera videos, which showed, in part, the officers interacting with the passengers after Azad fled from the scene. Police also were seen walking on foot in the wooded area, looking for him.
Moriarty said she had a private meeting on Monday, Dec. 4, with law enforcement and Azad’s family. “Losing someone so young is devastating. Although this is not the result they hoped for, our victim support team remains available to help them through this extremely difficult time.”
However, family members remain skeptical. In a phone interview with the Star Tribune, Moses, Azad’s brother who wasn’t present at the meeting, thinks the police were involved.
“When you read [about] it, it doesn’t add up,” he told the outlet. “We just want to get to the bottom of what really happened.
