Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared a state of emergency Monday and announced his intent to surge officers from nearby states to stave off possible violence following the trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-officer accused of killing George Floyd.
Walz’s order applies to the “seven-county metropolitan area of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington” as reports of individuals engaging “in unlawful and dangerous activity, including looting and damaging public and private property” mount, he said.
The Democratic governor intends to surge law enforcement personnel from Ohio and Nebraska to curb the potential violence, along with the full deployment of “local and state resources,” including the National Guard, which has proven to be “inadequate to address the threat,” he said.
“As the world awaits a verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, we need support in our efforts to preserve the First Amendment right of peaceful protests while protecting public safety,” Walz said in a statement. “I am grateful to our colleagues in Ohio and Nebraska for their willingness to provide assistance and relief to our State troopers and law enforcement officers as they continue to work to keep the peace in our communities.”
MINNEAPOLIS BRACES ITSELF FOR UNREST AS DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL CONCLUDES
Minnesota has faced prolonged unrest following the death of Daunte Wright, 20, who was pronounced dead after former Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter allegedly mistook her gun for a Taser and shot him on April 11. Potter was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Dozens have found themselves behind bars since April 13 for widespread looting, attacks on law enforcement, and defying curfew orders.
A large proportion of the area’s police have been “reallocated to assist” in the Brooklyn Center unrest, drawing forces away from the location of the Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, where the jury has begun to deliberate on whether to imprison the former officer, Walz said.
Chauvin pleaded not guilty to charges of third-degree murder, second-degree murder, and manslaughter.
“Recent events in Brooklyn Center have exhausted Minnesota’s local and state resources and are likely to hamper our ability to provide public safety and protect critical infrastructure and key resources in the seven-county metro area in the coming week,” Walz wrote in the emergency declaration.
Operation Safety Net, a coalition of law enforcement agencies, was tasked with protecting the city amid the Chauvin trial, and on Feb. 5, the state deployed a National Guard division to keep the peace during the court proceedings. At least 3,000 guardsmen have arrived in the city since February, and more than 1,100 additional police officers have been brought to the area.
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On Sunday morning, two members of the National Guard were injured in a drive-by shooting. No serious injuries were reported, and Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, who oversees the state’s National Guard, said the shooting “highlights the volatility and tension in our communities right now.”
Residents and business owners have begun to board up windows in scenes similar to the widespread violence and looting that was observed in May 2020 when video of Floyd’s death first circulated.
