Minnesota’s Democratic governor hesitated to call in the National Guard when Minneapolis was set ablaze following the police-involved death of George Floyd in May, but he’s not going to make the same mistake twice.
Gov. Tim Walz on Friday signed an executive order activating Guard units ahead of trials in the Floyd case, the first one being the former officer who became infamous for pinning Floyd to the pavement for nearly nine minutes, Derek Chauvin.
“The upcoming trials of the former officers involved in the death of George Floyd have raised the potential of civil unrest in the Cities of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and nearby communities,” Walz said in his order.
***FREE SPACE FORCE COIN! Just cover shipping***
“The Mayors of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have requested assistance from the State, including the Minnesota National Guard, to support public safety and security and to prevent or respond to potential civil unrest. In addition to other state resources, the National Guard can supplement local law enforcement efforts to keep the peace, ensure public safety, and allow for peaceful demonstrations,” he continued.
“This Executive Order is effective fifteen days after publication in the State Register and filing with the Secretary of State and will remain in effect until it is rescinded by proper authority, the need for National Guard assistance ends, or December 31, 2021, whichever occurs first,” the order adds.
Twin Cities Pioneer Press adds some details:
The move comes after officials from both cities urged Walz to call upon National Guard members to provide a visible presence and be available as needed as public interest increases surrounding the former officers’ trials, starting in March with Derek Chauvin’s second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges for the May 25 death of Floyd in South Minneapolis.
Chauvin’s trial is scheduled to begin March 8 with jury selection, though the prosecution filed an appeal last month to postpone it to summertime due to COVID-19 concerns. The joint trial for former officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao is scheduled to begin Aug. 23.
Walz’s executive order is part of a monthslong public safety planning process among local law enforcement agencies and all levels of government, including city and county governments, to prepare for heightened interest in the upcoming trials of the former officers.
“There are some public safety events for which you cannot plan, and there are some for which you can,” Walz said in a statement. “The upcoming trials of the former officers involved in the death of George Floyd have raised the potential of civil unrest in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and nearby communities. At the request of the City of Minneapolis and the City of Saint Paul, I have authorized the Minnesota National Guard to assist local law enforcement agencies during the upcoming trials.
“As public interest increases and decreases throughout the legal process, members of the Guard will be ready to supplement local law enforcement efforts to keep the peace, ensure public safety, and allow for peaceful demonstrations,” Walz continued.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the second degree. The other three officers will stand trial separately beginning this summer to curb congestion in the courtroom and abide by the still-lingering coronavirus restrictions.
***FIGHT BACK Against Liberal Censorship. Download Our Free News App***
The death of Floyd led to rioting all across the country, which lasted for weeks before Black Lives Matter activists saw them as an opportunity to advance their Marxist agenda and extend the ‘protests’ indefinitely, pausing right before the November election.
But just because Joe Biden won doesn’t mean that the unrest is over, as we’ve already seen in some familiar cities like Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore., and Seattle, Wash.
