A Minnesotan confronted Governor Tim Walz (D) on Wednesday over the burning of the Minneapolis Police Department's 3rd Precinct during the 2020 BLM riots, with Waltz and his staffers promptly running away.
Walz's and Mayor Jacob Fry's (D) response to the widespread destruction in the aftermath of George Floyd's death while in police custody was marred by inaction and time consuming mistakes that delayed critical actions, such as the deployment of the Minnesota National Guard.
While attending the Minnesota FarmFest, a man asked Walz, "Why would you let a police station burn to the ground and not send in the troops in there to stop it?"
As soon as the man finished asking his question, one of his staffers can be heard off camera telling Walz he had people waiting from him outside.
“Why would you let a police station burn to the ground and not send in the troops?”
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) August 3, 2022
Governor Tim Walz doesn’t answer and a staffer intercedes for him.#FarmFest pic.twitter.com/56m0KNygJx
"Gov. Walz returned briefly to the stage for another program post debate - he was then met by this question by an attendee. Lots of volunteers, staff and security keeping a buffer around Walz," reporter Rebecca Brannon added.
The 3rd Precinct was the epicenter of unrest during the May riots since former officer Derek Chauvin was stationed there when he was with the department. After multiple days of being attacked by rioters, Fry ordered officers to abandon the 3rd Precinct because the building was not worth the lives of the officers.
This is the moment when Minneapolis police officers abandoned the 3rd precinct building. Rioters chased them as they left and continued to throw objects at the police vehicles. pic.twitter.com/KoxAAYiUIN
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) May 29, 2020
It did not take long before rioters set fire to the 3rd Precinct. The police station remains sealed off and abandoned to this day.
The 3rd precinct building is now on fire. Rioters are celebrating and posing for pictures in front of the flames. pic.twitter.com/j5IrK8ARUd
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) May 29, 2020
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