GENERAL JOHN JENSEN OF THE
MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, I'M
THE GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL
GUARD.
AND AS GOVERNOR WALZ JUST
ANNOUNCED, THIS MORNING, WE
RECEIVED GUIDANCE FROM THE
GOVERNOR AS IT RELATES TO THE
DEMOBILIZATION OF THE MINNESOTA
NATIONAL GUARD AND THE RETURN
OF PART OF THE MINNESOTA
NATIONAL GUARD BACK TO THEIR
HOMETOWN AND BACK TO THEIR
ARMORIES, THIS IS NOT AN ORDER
TO RETURN THE ENTIRE
ORGANIZATION BACK HOME.
ANY REDEPLOYMENT IS COORDINATED
WITH THE MAC AND APPROVED BY
THE GOVERNOR.
OUR PLAN WILL REMAIN FLEXIBLE
AND HAVE A SCALABLE TEMPLE THAT
WE CAN ACCELERATE AS THE
SECURITY SITUATION IMPROVES,
DELAY, OR EVEN STOP IF THE
SECURITY SITUATION WORSENS.
WITH OVER 7,000 MINNESOTA
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN CURRENTLY
MOBILIZED, I AM CONFIDENT THAT
WE CAN REDUCE OUR PRESENCE
WHILE MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE
MISSION TASKINGS RECEIVED BY
THE MAC, THE STATE PATROL, AND
THE DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY.
YOU MAY SEE MOVEMENT TWIN AS
EARLY AS THIS AFTERNOON AS WE
TAKE UNITS WHO ARE NOT REQUIRED
TO RESPOND IN ST. PAUL OR
MINNEAPOLIS AND ALLOW THEM TO
RETURN HOME AND BEGIN THE
PROCESS OF RETURNING BACK TO
THEIR NORMAL STATUS AS A
CITIZEN SOLDIER.
IN ADDITION I'D LIKE TO REPORT
THAT LAST NIGHT, AT9:48 P.M.
IN THE VICINITY OF INTERSTATE I-
35 AND WASHINGTON AVENUE, AN
UNKNOWN VEHICLE DRIVING AT A
HIGH RATE OF SPEED TOWARD A
MINNESOTA GUARDSMEN AND THEIR
POLICE COUNTERPARTS.
THE RAPIDLY APPROACHING VEHICLE
REFUSED TO SLOW DOWN AS IT
APPROACHED OUR GUARDSMEN AND
OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
INITIAL QUESTIONING INTO OUR
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN INDICATE
THAT THIS ELEMENT RESPONDED
WITH VERBAL AND NONVERBAL
SIGNALS FOR THE VEHICLE TO
STOP.
THE VEHICLE CONTINUED AT A HIGH
RATE OF SPEED.
NON-LETHAL METHODS WERE ENGAGED
ON THE VEHICLE TO AGAIN TO HAVE
THE VEHICLE STOP.
THE VEHICLE CONTINUED AT A HIGH
RATE OF SPEED.
AT THAT TIME, IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE ESCALATION OF FORCE,
OUR SOLDIER FIRED THREE ROUNDS
FROM HIS RIFLE IN RESPONSE TO A
PERCEIVED AND LEGITIMATE THREAT
TO HIM AND THE MINNESOTA POLICE
OFFICERS THAT HE WAS IN DIRECT
SUPPORT OF.
THE VEHICLE CHANGED COURSE AND
FLED THE SCENE.
AT THIS TIME, NO INJURIES HAVE
BEEN REPORTED.
WE HAVE FOLLOWED OUR PROCEDURES
AND REPORTED THIS EVENT TO BOTH
THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND THE
CHIEF OF NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU.
AS IS REQUIRED BY REGULATION
ANYTIME A SERVICE MEMBER
DISCHARGES THEIR WEAPON,
REGARDLESS OF REASON, WE HAVE
ASSIGNED AN INVESTIGATING
OFFICER FOR THIS INCIDENT.
AND FINALLY, THIS WEEK AND
SPECIFICALLY THIS WEEKEND, FOR
SURE, MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD
IS SEEING THE BEST AND THE
WORST OF MINNESOTA.
WE HAVE SEEN THE DEVASTATION OF
A COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE SEEN
GREAT CITIZENS COMING BACK OUT,
PICKING UP THE PIECES WITH
THEIR FRIENDS AND WITH THEIR
NEIGHBORS AND STRANGERS.
AND WE HAVE HAD A SMALL PART OF
THAT AND WE'VE HAD THE
PRIVILEGE AND THE HONOR TO BE A
SMALL PART OF THAT.
BECAUSE MINNEAPOLIS AND ST.
PAUL ARE OUR COMMUNITIES TOO.
WE LIVE HERE.
WE WORK HERE.
AND THE MINNESOTA NATIONAL
GUARD IS HERE FOR YOU.
AND NOW I'LL BE FOLLOWED BY
COLONEL LANGER.
THANKS GENERAL.
MY NAME IS MATT LANGER AND I
HAVE THE HONOR AND IMPRESSIVE
LEVERAGE OF SERVING AS CHIEF OF
MINNESOTA STATE PATROL.
I'LL BE BRIEF.
LAST NIGHT WAS KIND OF THE
TEXTBOOK CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
ISSUE THAT WE ARE TRAINING TO
DEAL WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS
AND I THINK PEOPLE SAW A VERY
DIFFERENT STRATEGY.
A STRATEGY THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT
LIKES MUCH BETTER THAN USING
CHEMICAL MUNITIONS IN SO MANY
OF THE ACTIONS WE SAW LAST WEEK
THAT WERE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY
BUT NOT THE FIRST CHOICE.
A TACTIC WITH DISPERSAL
WARNINGS AND THEN A STRATEGY
THAT WORKS.
IN A VERY CAREFUL AND
METHODICAL AND SAFE AND EASIER
WAY TO TAKE PEOPLE INTO
CUSTODY.
MOST OF WHICH TEND TO WANT TO
BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
FOR THEIR ACTIONS FOR VARIOUS
REASONS.
I ECHO SENTIMENT AND I WAS
PROUD TO SEE THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHETHER IT
WAS THE TROOPERS, THE DNR
CONSERVATION OFFICERS, THE
SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES AND THE
POLICE OFFICERS, THIS WAS A
MULTIHOUR INTERACTION.
AND I THINK WHAT YOU WILL SEE
IF YOU WATCH THE NEWS AND SEE
VARIOUS REPORTS, IT WARMED MANY
MY HEART TO SEE ALL THE PEACE
OFFICERS INTERACTING WITH ALL
THE PROTESTORS UNDER ARREST,
COMMUNICATING, TALKING.
LAUGHING.
AND BEING HUMAN TOGETHER.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I LIKE TO
SEE.
AND WHAT WE LIKE TO SEE.
AND WHAT MAKES US PROUD.
ENOUGH WAS SAID ABOUT THE SEMI
ON THE 35W BRIDGE.
I HAD THE SAME VISCERAL
REACTION AS THE TRAFFIC SAFETY
PROFESSIONAL ABOUT WHAT THAT
COULD HAVE BEEN VERSUS WHAT IT
WAS.
ONE OF THIS THINGS WE HAVE SAID
ALL ALONG IS THAT THE FREEWAY
IS JUST A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE
TO BE WHEN YOU ARE PROTESTING.
AND SO THERE'S MANY PLACES TO
EXERCISE YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS.
WE CONTINUE TO FACILITATE THAT
ALONG WITH OTHER LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
THE FREEWAY IS JUST NOT THE
PLACE TO DO IT.
AND ALTHOUGH WE TRY AS HARD AS
WE CAN TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE IT'S
JUST REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT
AND YESTERDAY WAS A SHINING
EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE SAID FOR A
LONG, LONG TIME ABOUT THE
DANGER OF THOSE EVENTS ON THE
FREEWAY.
I TEND TO AGREE, NOTHING SHORT
OF A MIRACLE AND WE'RE VERY
THANKFUL FOR THAT.
WE'RE PREPARED, WE HAVE OUR
STAFFING OUR RESOURCES AND AS
THE GOVERNOR SAID, MULTIAGENCY
RESPONSE IS STILL THERE.
THE CURFEW ADJUSTMENT HAS BEEN
ANNOUNCED AND OFTEN TIMES YOU
HEAR LAW ENFORCEMENT DIRECTING
LIKE 10:00 IN THE REQUIREMENT
IS IS THAT YOU OBEY THE CURFEW
AND THAT'S AN ORDER BUT
SOMETIMES YOU DON'T HEAR WHAT
I'D LIKE TO SAY ASIDE LIKE TO
ASK PEOPLE TO COOPERATE WITH
THE 10:00 CURFEW.
MAYBE THAT'S DIFFERENT AND NOT
COMMON, BUT THAT'S OUR ASK.
WE WOULD LIKE TO YOU COOPERATE
WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S HELPFUL FOR US.
WE'LL BE THERE AND READY AND
WE'RE WILLING AND ABLE TO DOLE
WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO BUT WE
KNOW ABSOLUTELY THE VAST, VAST
MAJORITY OF MINNESOTANS AND
THOSE WHO LIVE AROUND
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL ARE
HELPING AND THEY'RE TRYING AND
WE JUST HOPE AND PRAY FOR
PEACEFUL, GENUINE EXPRESSION OF
FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT AND
ENOUGH WITH THE VIOLENCE AND
ENOUGH WITH THE PROPERTY
DESTRUCTION.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AND
THAT'S MY ASK FOR THE FUTURE
HERE IS THAT WE GET BACK TO WHO
WE ARE IN THE STATE IN