Authorities in Minneapolis and St Paul have pointed to the possibility of ‘public disorder’
Authorities in Minnesota will deploy members of the U.S. National Guard to maintain law and order during the trial of former police officers accused of the manslaughter death of George Floyd, a black man, last May. A statement to that effect was released Friday on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s website.
The governor, in a statement, said he had been approached by authorities in and around Minneapolis and St Paul. They believe the potential for “public disturbance” has increased in light of the imminent trial.
Walz stressed that, according to his order, “the National Guard has already begun planning and preparing” to work during the trial. According to the document, the order will remain in effect until the end of this year, but could be revoked sooner if there is no longer a need for military support.
According to local TV channel Fox8, the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin is scheduled to begin on March 8. The trial of three other former police officers involved in Floyd’s detention is scheduled for August this year.
Chauvin was charged with manslaughter. The other three former police officers are charged with criminal negligence, aiding and abetting murder and accessory to manslaughter, among others.
After Floyd’s death, there were mass protests and riots in the US. To restore calm, local law enforcement agencies were joined by the US National Guard and curfews were imposed in some 40 cities, including Washington DC and New York.