UPDATE:
Two women have been arrested for their alleged involvement in Amos Ferrier’s death by the Minneapolis Police Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT).
Riniyah Allen, 19, and Jalaya Frost, 18 — who was listed in the Hennepin County Jail roster as Janaya Frost — were arrested on the 1000 block of Kingsford Street in St. Paul.
“The loss suffered by the family and loved ones of Amos Ferrier in this horrific incident cannot be undone,” said Minneapolis Chief Brian O’Hara. “But the apprehension of those believed to be responsible brings hope that justice will be achieved. I am grateful for the coordinated efforts of investigators and community members that led to these arrests.”
A memorial now sits outside Rick’s Coffee Bar in south Minneapolis, where staff said the loss of their colleague, Amos Ferrier, has shaken everyone inside.
“We’re hurting. We walked in this morning, and it kind of hits you like a wave that he’s not here, and he’s not coming in,” said Tom McKenna, a colleague.
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Flowers and flags now fill the space outside the shop.
“With a white cross that Amos made himself,” McKenna said. “It seemed appropriate.”
Ferrier was the Internship Program Director for the veteran-focused non-profit, Every Third Saturday. The non-profit runs the coffee shop.
Those who worked with Ferrier describe him as someone who brought light into every room.
“In every sense of the word, he was just a special soul,” he said. “He was infectious with his humor. He had this huge laugh, he was a big guy, and his laugh would reverberate throughout the whole building.”
McKenna said Ferrier’s ability to connect with people extended far beyond jokes.
“Each and every one of them, he was able to connect with on some level, and he just had the want to and the ability to connect and become like a big brother instead of a boss,” he said.
The incident that took Ferrier’s life unfolded during a busy event on Friday afternoon. McKenna said Ferrier noticed something happening outside.
“He was in the coffee shop and observed at least one individual, maybe two or three, but they had gone into his truck and took his bag, and he ran out to stop them,” he said.
What happened next remains unclear, but McKenna said the outcome was devastating.
“We do not know if they got back in their car, we do not know if he stood in front of the car and jumped on the hood or if they started to run him over and he ended up on the hood,” he said. “But anyway, they carried him almost a full city block on the hood, and at some point, the driver of the vehicle swerved violently and threw him off, and he hit his head on the pavement and ended up costing his life.”
A cross marks the spot he fell.
McKenna said he was rushed to the hospital unconscious.
“They did emergency brain surgery at HCMC, and he never woke up,” he said.
McKenna said the family decided to discontinue life support on Sunday.
Minneapolis police said this is believed to be the first death related to a car theft in the city this year, and as of now, no arrests have been made.
Thinking about Ferrier’s final moments has been difficult for those who loved him.
McKenna said he hopes Ferrier’s courage carried him through.
“To think about what he went through there in the last minute of his life, it had to be scary,” he said. “But he was brave, he had combat medals from Afghanistan, he was a courageous soul.”
The neighborhood has seen car thefts before, but McKenna said this incident was unlike anything they have experienced.
“This was different, because it obviously escalated from a petty theft to someone passing away,” he said.
Even in their grief, McKenna said the family and the non-profit are choosing a message they believe Ferrier would have supported.
“So, along with the family that we forgive the people who did this, we do want them to be held accountable, and we do want them to be caught and prosecuted for what they did, but we forgive them,” he said.
McKenna said Ferrier leaves behind two sons.
He also served 15 years in the Army.
“He was a combat-decorated veteran, a medic, and he was credited with saving multiple lives in Afghanistan,” McKenna said.
At Every Third Saturday, Ferrier played a vital role. McKenna said his work touched nearly every part of the organization.
“He was our do-it-all. He was kind of a Swiss Army knife,” he said. “He ran an internship program, but he also had a huge role helping veterans with challenges like paperwork or filing claims, accessing benefits and resources. And he was part of a suicide prevention initiative we were launching.”
McKenna said Ferrier’s legacy will live on through the people he helped and the way he carried himself.
“He taught us that laughing is the best medicine,” he said. “He certainly leaves behind a legacy of lives that he touched, and a way of doing things that will continue here for a long time.”
As the memorial outside the shop continues to grow, he hopes it sends a message about how the community can move forward.
“That we are in this together,” he said. “It is just better to love than hate.”
The coffee shop is closed for the week as staff mourn.
Ferrier will be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery once arrangements are finalized.
