George Floyd protests are still happening across the United States and in other countries. Protesters are mostly peaceful, but several extreme cases like looting and excessive use of force by the police have also made headlines.
For a little over a week, various reports, backed by photo and video evidence, have been saying that cops in Minneapolis have resorted to a most unusual riot tactic, slashing the tires of parked cars. Two agencies have now admitted to it, saying that, while it’s “not a typical tactic,” it was deemed necessary on safety concerns.
Both the Minnesota State Police and the Anoka County Sheriff’s Department have owned up to the slashing of the tires, following orders from the Multiagency Command Center. They did not acknowledge reports that most of the cars they damaged belonged to members of the media, medical personnel and peaceful protesters, but said they only deflated the tires on cars they noticed carried potentially dangerous items like rocks, concrete or bricks.
According to Minnesota Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bruce Gordon in a statement to the Star Tribune, the goal was to “stop behaviors such as vehicles driving dangerously and at high speeds in and around protesters and law enforcement.” “As in all operations of this size, there will be a review about how these decisions were made,” Gordon added.
Meanwhile, Mother Jones reports that most cars targeted were parked in a K-Mart parking lot and on a highway overpass, both clear of protesters but briefly turned into police staging grounds.
Luke Mogelson, a New Yorker journalist, says he was on foot when he showed his press credentials and was informed he was told he could go to his car and drive out safely. When he got to the parking lot, all his four tires were slashed and the cops were “all laughing, they had grins on their faces,” as they informed him of what they’d done.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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