ST. PAUL 鈥� Minnesota State Patrol and National Guard leaders on Wednesday, April 21, said that officers and soldiers will return home later this week following the conviction of former officer Derek Chauvin and a peaceful night of celebrations around the Twin Cities.
A Hennepin County jury on Tuesday, April 20, found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in connection to the May 25 killing of George Floyd . Bystander and bodycam footage of the incident showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd asked him to stop.
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Ahead of the trial, state and local law enforcement groups readied thousands of officers, soldiers and airmen to intervene in the event of rioting or looting in the Twin Cities. Widespread looting and arson fires took place in the region in late May and June following Floyd's death resulting in more than $500 million in damage.
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Derek Chauvin guilty in death of George Floyd George Floyd's final moments were captured on bystander video and viewed by millions of people around the world in a matter of hours. The incident became one of the most infamous police encounters in history, sparking unprecedented international protests and renewed discussion about race and policing.
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'True justice comes through real change': Minnesota officials react to Derek Chauvin guilty verdict One day after legal arguments concluded in the trial against former-Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd, a jury found Chauvin guilty on all three charges.
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Tensions make way to joy after jury delivers guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin case Even before the jury's decision was made public on Tuesday, state officials called for peace as demonstrations went on in the Twin Cities and possible civil unrest was expected.
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Derek Chauvin is segregated from other inmates in Minnesota's 'most secure unit' Chauvin is being housed under "administrative segregation" status for the fired Minneapolis police officer's own safety while being held at the Oak Park Heights Prison until sentencing in June. Chauvin was found guilty Tuesday on all charges in the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Chauvin's guilty verdict sparked celebrations Tuesday evening, and law enforcement officials who oversaw Operation Safety Net said they were preparing to scale down police presence in the area.
"The goals of Operation Safety Net were met, which were to ensure we didn't have massive property destruction and chaos in our streets," Assistant Department of Public Safety Commissioner Booker Hodges said. "And we have to thank for that our citizens of our great state and those who came here to express their First Amendment rights."
Fencing and other barriers around state, city and county buildings will also start to come down in the coming days, as the law enforcement operation moves to its next phase. Those barriers could return later this year as Chauvin returns to court for his sentencing hearing and other officers involved in Floyd's death have their day in court.
State Patrol Col. Matt Langer and National Guard Adjutant General Shawn Manke said their forces were demobilizing in a "strategic way" and thousands of officers, soldiers and other law enforcement staff would be returning home in the coming days after deploying to Minneapolis and St. Paul.
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"We'll continue to ramp down and hopefully have all of our soldiers and airmen off this mission very shortly because, frankly, the need of the local law enforcement is no longer there," Manke said.
Roughly 120 Nebraska and Ohio officers who came into the state Monday to help with law enforcement response had returned to their states or were planning their return travel, Langer said.
The law enforcement leaders thanked the Twin Cities community and demonstrators for keeping the peace amid the trial and said they hoped to learn from their experience should future court proceedings or incidents require a similar response.
鈥淲e knew that Minnesota could do this here," Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said. "And you were a beacon of light to our country and across the globe."
