Governor Tim Walz will not say whether he believes the Minneapolis police officer involved in the death of George Floyd should be charged immediately, as Mayor Jacob Frey is calling for. The governor says after seeing the video that millions across the globe have viewed, “I too share that urge of just a primal scream of when you watch humanity get erased in front of you. It is almost inexplicable how you respond. I want to be incredibly careful that anything I say from this office does not jeopardize a fair journey towards justice.”
The governor says protests are “a pretty normal response” of people’s outrage, but urges demonstrators to remain peaceful and to wear masks. Attorney General Keith Ellison is asking law enforcement to “exercise restraint” in their interactions with protesters.