Law enforcement agencies have acknowledged police officers punctured the tires of numerous unoccupied vehicles parked during the height of recent unrest over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Minnesota Department of Public Safety spokesman Bruce Gordon said troopers deflated tires to stop vehicles from “driving dangerously and at high speeds in and around protesters and law enforcement.”
Troopers also targeted vehicles “that contained items used to cause harm during violent protests” such as rocks, concrete and sticks, Gordon said Monday, according to the Star Tribune.
Deputies from Anoka County also deflated tires on vehicles during the protests connected to Floyd’s death, according to Anoka County Sheriff’s Lt. Andy Knotz. Deputies were following orders from the state-led Multiagency Command Center, which was coordinating law enforcement during the protests, Knotz said.
All four tires on the car of Star Tribune reporter were slashed in a Kmart parking lot while he was on foot covering the protests and unrest, the newspaper reported.
Protesters nationwide are calling for police reforms in response to Floyd’s death.
