National Guard will deploy at Floyd trials

MINNEAPOLIS — Gov. Tim Walz on Friday authorized the Minnesota National Guard to deploy in preparation for potential civil unrest during the upcoming trials of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the killing of George Floyd.

The Democratic governor’s executive order authorizes the deployment of an unspecified number of troops in Minneapolis, St. Paul and elsewhere during both the trial of ex-officer Derek Chauvin, which is scheduled to begin March 8, and three other former officers scheduled for trial in August.

Local, state and federal authorities have been preparing for months, fearing a repeat of violence that erupted after protests began in Minneapolis and spread worldwide, leading to a national reckoning over race. Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, died May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for several minutes even though Floyd said he couldn’t breathe.