The son of an expelled ex-Minnesota state representative with a previous hit-and-run conviction in California was arrested and charged with murder for allegedly plowing into a vehicle carrying five Somali women, killing them all, in Minneapolis.
Horrifying video shows the moment Derrick John Thompson, 27, smashed into the car carrying Sabiriin Ali, 17, Sahra Gesaade, 20, Salma Abdikadir, 20, Sagal Hersi, 19, and Siham Adam, 19, officials said.
Thompson has a criminal record that includes a 2018 hit-and-run in California that gave the woman life-changing injuries. She spent several weeks in a coma.
He was given an eight-year sentence, with 502 days as credit for time already served and another 75 days credit for good behavior.
Thompson was freed and on Friday is suspected of being behind the wheel of a speeding car that tried to flee a police officer when it crashed into a vehicle with the five women on Lake Street as they were getting ready for a friend's wedding the next day.
Derrick John Thompson, the son of an expelled ex-Minnesota state representative with a previous hit-and-run conviction has been arrested and charged with murder for plowing into a vehicle carrying five Somali women , killing them all, in Minneapolis on Friday
When contacted as to why he was out of prison, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney could not give any specific reason but suggested that California's proposition 57 gave the state 'wide latitude to award additional custody credits, as well as, early parole opportunities.'
Under the law as they saw it, Thompson should've had to spend another five-and-a-half years in prison.
The vehicle Thompson was driving at the time had over 17 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in cash, according to Fox News.
It is one of Thompson's many arrests and a lengthy rap sheet for the son of a disgraced Minnesota politician.
Thompson's father John Thompson was expelled from the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party caucus in September 2021 for lying about being racially profiled by a police officer over his past problems with the law, which included a domestic violence accusation.
He was officially unseated in November 2022, despite being endorsed for re-election in 2021 by prominent Democrats in the state, including Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Representative Ilhan Omar.
In April 2022, Thompson - who by that time was an independent - was accused of brandishing his official business card in what St. Paul cops suggested was an attempt to cower them.
Thompson's father John Thompson was expelled from the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party caucus in September 2021 for lying about being racially profiled by a police officer over his past problems with the law, which included a domestic violence accusation
John Thompson is also said to have screamed at officers following the traffic stop in St. Paul on April 24, when his 26-year-old daughter Larraja Austin was pulled over.
Thompson accused them of racism and successfully managed to persuade the cops to let Austin drive off without being made to perform a sobriety test or arrested.
Officers taking part in a crackdown on bad driving pulled the beautician over after watching her swerve, and are said to have smelt weed in her car on doing so.
Condemning Thompson's alleged behavior in a blistering Facebook post, St. Paul Chief of Police Todd Axtell wrote: 'It turned ugly fast.
Thompson attended Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's State of the State speech at 6 p.m. on the same day that his daughter was pulled over.
In the summer of 2021, the St. Paul Police Department released footage of Thompson being pulled over and making similar allegations of racism against officers. Thompson said that he was guilty of 'driving while black.'
That incident led to it being revealed that Thompson held a Wisconsin driver's license.
That revelation saw the media discover that John Thompson had previous domestic abuse allegations against him.
Thompson was accused of a series of domestic abuse incidents dating back to 2003. In one instance, the alleged abuse took place in front of his children.
The state rep's wife, Lea Austin Thompson, came forward in 2021 to say of her husband, 'I have never been abused. He never has abused me.'
Thompson (C) marches with Black Lives Matter protesters outside the Brooklyn Center police headquarters on April 13, 2021 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Thompson's wife has previously come forward to say that her husband never abused her
Following those revelations, Thompson was removed from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party party caucus in the Minnesota legislature.
Thompson said in a statement after his expulsion that he would continue to serve his constituents as an independent.
Thompson rose to prominence following the killing of his 'good friend' Philando Castile, according to a 2021 St. Paul Pioneer-Press profile. While a feature in Vice Magazine referred to him as Castile's 'best friend.'
On his official website, Thompson wrote, 'My family and I have always worked hard and kept to ourselves until the day my friend and co-worker Philando Castile was shot and killed during a traffic stop. At that moment, I knew that I could no longer remain silent.'
The girls' car is shown (top left) seconds before being hit by Thompson's SUV on Friday
The girls' car is shown being knocked sideways at 95mph after the moment of impact
His son, Derrick John Thompson, now faces charges in connection to Friday's horrific crash. The five women killed were doing last-minute shopping at a Minneapolis mall Friday and having the tattoos applied for a friend's wedding the next day.
They were on the way home when Thompson ran a red light and smashed into them in his SUV at around 10pm. He was traveling at around 95mph - 40 miles over the 55mph speed limit, according to public officials.
Thompson survived the crash and fled his vehicle on foot to a nearby Taco Bell.
He was arrested there later and taken to the hospital.
A Minnesota State Police trooper began pursuit of the SUV on an interstate as it was speeding near 100mph where the speed limit is 55mph in south Minneapolis, according to the state's Department of Public Safety.
The SUV exited the highway before it could be pulled over and ran the red light, crashing into the women's car.
The five victims were regular attendees of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in nearby Bloomington, Minnesota, according to director Khalid Omar.
'These are pearls of our community. They leave a big void. All five of them had bright futures,' he said.
Ali had just graduated high school and was set to attend the University of Minnesota, while the other four were all currently in college.
'They weren't doing anything wrong,' Omar added. 'They were just getting ready for their friend's wedding.'
A group of five Minnesota women preparing for a friend's wedding by getting henna tattoos were killed Friday night after a driver trying to speed away from police slammed into their car. Sagal Hersi, 19 and Siham Adam, also 19, were two of the victims
Sahra Gesaade, 20, and Salma Abdikadir, 20, were two of the victims in the tragic crash. Abidkadir volunteered as a tutor at her local mosque
Sabiriin Ali, 17, was the youngest of the five killed. She had just graduated high school and was headed to the University of Minnesota
The girls started to drive down Lake Street just before 10 p.m. when an SUV being followed by a Minnesota State Police trooper ran a red light and smashed into their car
The scene outside the fatal crash on Friday night. The suspect tried to flee to Taco Bell but was taken to the hospital from there
Omar noted all five women were volunteers at the Islamic Center, with Ali and her mother working as caretakers, while Abdikadir often taught kids to read and write in Arabic.
The Islamic Center has started a public fundraiser for the families involved, which has drawn over $344,000.
'We find ourselves in deep sorrow today, for our community experienced a heartbreaking tragedy last night. We have lost five of our bright, young sisters in a severe car accident.
'May Allah grant mercy upon the departed and open the doors of Jannah for them,' the page read.
'These young Muslim sisters, were shining stars of hope for our future. Unfortunately, their lives were cut short last night by a driver evading the police.'
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