During a press conference on Saturday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) stated that despite the “largest civilian deployment” in the history of the state, law enforcement lacks the numbers to respond to rioting in the state, and that “We cannot arrest people when we’re trying to hold ground.” He also took responsibility “for underestimating the wanton destruction and the size of this crowd.”
Walz said, “This is the largest civilian deployment in Minnesota history that we have out there today. And quite candidly, right now, we do not have the numbers. We cannot arrest people when we’re trying to hold ground because of the sheer size, the dynamics, and the wanton violence that’s coming out there.”
He added, “I will take responsibility for underestimating the wanton destruction and the size of this crowd. We have deployed a force, that, I think, as we sat down together and talked about, would have, in any other civilian police operation, worked. But the terrifying thing is to hear people who have seen this, and myself looking at this, it resembles more of a military operation at times now, as, especially, ringleaders moving from place to place.”
(h/t KMSP)
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