Minneapolis Gov. activates state National Guard following second night of protests

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday activated the state's National Guard.

A second night of violent protests over the death of a black man in police custody rattled Minneapolis last night — with protestors in a standoff with police, who fired rubber bullets and tear gas, keeping them away from a police station.

Police say that a person was fatally shot amid the protesting overnight Wednesday and that they have a suspect in custody, according to the Associated Press. 

The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, had requested the presence of the National Guard as protests intensified. "I cannot risk the safety of innocent people and so that is what I've been sworn to uphold and that is what I am dedicated to do," said the mayor. "We can have both things. We can have peaceful demonstrations, but I also have to ensure the safety of everyone in the city."

The protests follow the death Monday of 46-year-old George Floyd, whose arrest, videotaped by a bystander, shows a police officer kneeling on a handcuffed Floyd's neck until he became unresponsive. 

Floyd can be heard saying, "I can't breathe."

Floyd died later at a hospital. Four police officers were fired Tuesday in connection with the incident. 

Floyd was a former Texas high school football star who had lost his job because of the pandemic. He died Monday night in a confrontation that began after a grocery store employee called the police to report someone trying to pass a counterfeit bill, according to the Associated Press.