Takeaways from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s response to violence after George Floyd’s murder

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be the Democratic vice presidential candidate has revived the debate over how he handled the biggest crisis of his political career.

Minneapolis and St. Paul erupted after a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd. The Black man’s murder in 2020 sparked a nationwide reckoning over racial discrimination and police misconduct. What the governor did — or failed to do — during the protests and their aftermath still draws sharp criticism from Republicans who say he should have acted sooner. And some progressives complain that Walz was not assertive enough in fixing the state’s police agencies.

Here are some takeaways about about how Walz handled the protests and police reform efforts:

A fateful week

Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, Memorial Day. Bystander video of his dying cries of “I can’t breathe” spread quickly, stoking outrage. The protests were mostly peaceful at first, albeit with some vandalism and clashes with police.

Major looting started on May 27, two nights later. The police chief asked Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to seek help from the National Guard. Walz, a 24-year National Guard veteran, approved a limited activation on May 28 though he continued to leave most of the response in the hands of local authorities.

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