Suspect arrested in deadly Minneapolis crash

(KSTP) – Minneapolis police confirm Derrick John Thompson, son of former state Rep. John Thompson, has been arrested in connection with a high-speed crash Friday night that killed five young women.

Thompson, 27, was taken into custody Monday afternoon on probable cause murder.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty says she is reviewing the case to make a charging decision.

Court records show Thompson has a prior felony conviction from a 2018 hit-and-run that injured a woman in Montecito, California. He received an eight-year sentence in 2020 but was released from prison earlier this year.

Minnesota driving records also show Thomspon was arrested and convicted for fleeing a police officer in 2017. His driver’s license was eventually revoked, but records show it was reinstated on June 7, less than two weeks before Friday’s deadly crash.

Our sister station, KSTP, has made numerous attempts to reach the Thompson family for comment. They have yet to respond.

Investigators say around 10:15 p.m. Friday, a driver ran a red light at the intersection of Lake Street and Second Avenue South before slamming into the car with five young women inside.

Police say Thompson got out of the car and ran off after the crash, but an officer eventually caught up to him and arrested him.

Thompson had been hospitalized since Friday night with injuries but is now well enough to be released and brought into custody.

The victims — Salma Abdikadir, Siham Adam, Sabiriin Ali, Sahra Gesaade and Sagal Hersi — were all between 17 and 20 years old. They were laid to rest Monday afternoon at Garden of Eden Cemetery in Burnsville.

Release of crash video under investigation

Moriarty and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara are both speaking out in response to a leaked Metro Transit surveillance video circulating online showing the exact moment of the crash.

O’Hara said he does not know who leaked the video, but MPD and Metro Transit police are conducting an internal review.

“I will also review and consider policy changes to limit how video of evidentiary valuie may be received from an outside agency by members of the MPD,” O’Hara said in a statement.

Moriarty said in separate statement that she does not anticipate the video release to impact her office’s consideration of charges in the case.