How Tim Walz handled the George Floyd protests as the governor of Minnesota

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Former President Donald Trump and his surrogates are criticizing Tim Walz over his handling of the George Floyd protests. Well, Tim Walz, as we know, is governor of Minnesota and now Democratic vice presidential candidate. The criticism centers on whether Walz deployed the Minnesota National Guard quickly enough to quell the unrest that erupted after Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis police officer back in 2020. Walz has defended his actions, and as we're about to hear, his response to George Floyd's killing goes beyond the protests alone - here with more, Minnesota Public Radio's senior editor Brandt Williams. Hi, Brandt.

BRANDT WILLIAMS, BYLINE: Hi.

KELLY: Take us back to the summer of 2020. Walz - he has said he underestimated the size of the crowds. He underestimated their level of aggression. Did he adjust his response in light of all that?

WILLIAMS: Yes. In the following days, Governor Walz deployed the - what turned out to be the largest Minnesota National Guard presence since World War II, and the state patrol, which Walz also oversees, was directed to help Minneapolis police respond to further protests. However, Walz and officials with the state's Department of Public Safety wound up being heavily criticized after state patrol troopers arrested hundreds of people that were demonstrating on an interstate highway. And that action resulted in sharp rebukes from activists and at least one Minneapolis City Council member. It also led to legal action taken by journalists who were injured and/or arrested while covering the unrest. And they wound up suing the state, and they eventually settled with the state for just over $800,000.

KELLY: OK. Now, beyond the protests, Governor Walz also signed off on big-picture changes to law enforcement policies after George Floyd was killed. Tell us more.

WILLIAMS: Right. So in July of 2020, during a special session, the state legislature passed a bill with bipartisan support which prohibits the use of chokeholds and other restraint methods with some exceptions. The bill also outlawed what's called warrior training. The bill mandated training for peace officers who are dealing with people with autism or experiencing mental health crises. And here's what Governor Walz had to say after signing that bill.

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TIM WALZ: Every single person, every single Minnesotan deserves to feel safe and protected in their communities. This bipartisan piece of legislation moves us towards a critical step towards criminal justice reform.

KELLY: Right. And it was bipartisan legislation, although I remember that came in for all kinds of criticism from the left and the right. One more thing for you to fact-check for us because Governor Walz also played a role in the prosecution of Derek Chauvin, the officer who was later convicted of George Floyd's murder - what was his involvement?

WILLIAMS: Right. So Governor Walz took the case out of the hands of the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, and he assigned it to the state attorney general, Keith Ellison, who wound up increasing the severity of the charges. Ellison added a second-degree murder charge to the counts against Derek Chauvin. He also charged the three other officers that were involved. And then around the same time, the state's human rights department opened an investigation into allegations that the Minneapolis Police Department engaged in ongoing discrimination against communities of color. And that investigation has resulted in a court-enforced agreement between the state and the city of Minneapolis. And that agreement mandates a series of pretty significant reforms that are designed to encourage nondiscriminatory policing.

KELLY: Brandt Williams, senior editor at Minnesota Public Radio. Thank you, Brandt.

WILLIAMS: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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