Union leaders representing fellow Minneapolis police officers on Wednesday said officers were prepared to give their lives to protect the city’s Third Police Precinct before it was set ablaze in May, but police leaders told them to stand down and let demonstrators take it.
The officers told Minnesota senators about their experiences responding to the arsons and looting in Minneapolis that followed large protests after George Floyd’s death while in police custody. They said extreme dips in morale are having profound impacts among their ranks.
The hearing was the latest held by a joint Minnesota Senate panel tasked with probing the damage that followed Floyd’s death.
And in a four-hour hearing that focused on protesters’ occupation of freeways and the police response to civil unrest in the Twin Cities, Republican lawmakers said they would bring legislation increasing penalties for demonstrating on freeways and call for answers from state and local leaders who they felt were responsible for the destruction.
Democrats on the panel, meanwhile, said lawmakers should focus on the issue that fueled civil unrest: the death of Floyd after now-former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck.
Minneapolis Officer Rich Walker Sr. condemned Chauvin’s actions and said the bad acts of a handful of officers shouldn’t ruin the reputation of an entire department.
“The truth is the leaders of Minneapolis failed Minneapolis,” Walker said. “We would’ve gave the ultimate sacrifice before we gave up our building.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said last month that he would “note that the governor has repeatedly stated no city could have handled a crisis of this magnitude without support from other jurisdictions, and the full mobilization of the Minnesota National Guard was necessary.”
Officers had riot gear, but the Minneapolis police union said officers were asked not to wear it so as to not inflame tensions. And that caused injuries as demonstrators lobbed bottles, rocks and other projectiles, according to the union.
“We could’ve defended that precinct, we could’ve defended that part of Lake Street if we had the resources,” said Sgt. Anna Hedberg, who, along with Walker, are Minneapolis Police Federation directors.
The Department of Public Safety last week told the panel that the state was preparing to activate hundreds of National Guard members to assist officers in Minneapolis. But efforts to scale up forces to the extent necessary took days.
The state took control of the situation in Minneapolis on May 29, deploying more than 7,000 National Guard members, the largest operation since World War II.
NEW PENALTIES POSSIBLE
The panel also took testimony Wednesday about hundreds of demonstrators spilling onto freeways on May 31.
State Patrol Col. Matt Langer said troopers went into “triage” mode that day as two protests at U.S. Bank Stadium and the Capitol grew in size. They, along with the Department of Transportation, moved to close highways before the planned time of 8 p.m. to prevent dangerous situations for demonstrators or drivers.
“Whenever there’s a breach of the freeway by a group that wishes to demonstrate or protest that is a harrowing experience as traffic safety officials,” Langer said. “… We’re quite concerned that someone is going to get hurt.”
That almost happened May 31, when a truck driver nearly drove into a crowd of protesters on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis. He said he didn’t intend to, but found himself confused on a highway that he didn’t understand was closed.
Republicans on the panel said they would bring forth stiffer penalties for demonstrators that enter roadways.
“People are … absolutely sick and tired of this,” said Sen. David Senjem, R-Rochester. “I think we need to look at some consequences or we’re going to have this on a repeated basis.”
But Democrats said lawmakers should instead look to what is fueling the unrest.
“They took to the streets because they wanted their actions to be heard by Minnesotans,” said Sen. Melissa Franzen, D-Edina. “… How do we avoid another killing of a Black man? Because that actually happened on a public street by a public servant.”