The Minnesota Department of Public Safety confirmed Monday that officers from two law enforcement agencies slashed dozens of vehicles’ tires as part of the response to protests in Minneapolis last weekend. Minnesota state troopers and deputies from the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office punctured and deflated tires in “a few locations,” Department of Public Safety spokesman Bruce Gordon told The Star Tribune. “State Patrol troopers strategically deflated tires ... in order to stop behaviors such as vehicles driving dangerously and at high speeds in and around protesters and law enforcement,” he said. Gordon acknowledged that law enforcement slashing tires is “not a typical tactic,” but defended it as reducing the risk of vehicles “being used as dangerous weapons and inhibiting our ability to clear areas and keep areas safe.”Several of the damaged cars belonged to reporters on the scene covering the protests that erupted following the police killing of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis. Journalists have repeatedly been targeted by law enforcement officers as they cover protests across the country.

Source: Huffington Post June 08, 2020 23:03 UTC