William “Billy” James Hughes, 43, was shot and killed by police officers in St. Paul, Minnesota, on August 5, 2018. Image: Native Lives Matter

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White Earth Nation citizen shot and killed by police officers

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

William “Billy” James Hughes, a citizen of the White Earth Nation, was shot and killed by police officers in Minnesota on Sunday afternoon.

Hughes, 43, "died of multiple gunshot wounds," according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He was shot after officers responded to a 911 call at a multi-unit home in St. Paul, the agency said.

“Our community experienced a terrible tragedy,” Dannah Thompson, a cousin of Hughes, told The St. Paul Pioneer Press as members of the Native community rallied together at the Minneapolis American Indian Center on Monday evening.

The family previously suffered a similar tragedy. Philip Quinn, a cousin of Hughes, was shot and killed by police in St. Paul in 2015, The Pioneer Press reported.

“When is it going to stop?” Kathy Ficken, an aunt of both men, told the paper after Monday's rally. “They have to stop.”

#NativeLivesMatter

Native Americans are more likely to be killed by law enforcement than any other racial or ethnic group, according to the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice.

According to the state, officers Matthew Jones and Vincent Adams have been placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure, while the investigation is ongoing. Both were wearing body cameras during the incident.

The 911 call was linked to reports of gunfire, the agency said. A gun was recovered at the scene.

The Native Lives Matter group is planning a second rally for Tuesday evening at the police department in St. Paul to seek the release of the 911 call and other information about the incident.

Native Americans are more likely to be killed by police officers than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States, according to the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice.

Read More on the Story:
Family calls for answers after 43-year-old man fatally shot by St. Paul police (The St. Paul Pioneer Press August 6, 2018)
Family, Community Organization Identifies Man Killed in St. Paul Officer-Involved Shooting (KSTP August 6, 2018)
Gun recovered where St. Paul officers shot and killed Hughes, BCA says (The St. Paul Pioneer Press August 7, 2018)
BCA releases names of officers involved in fatal St. Paul shooting (The Minneapolis Star Tribune August 7, 2018)
Man Killed By Police In St. Paul ID’d; BCA Investigation Continues (WCCO August 7, 2018)
Relatives demand answers as IDs in police shooting emerge (The Associated Press August 7, 2018)