Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state leaders, including the National Guard, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, are preparing for potential civil unrest following rumors that President Donald Trump is pardoning former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, convicted of killing George Floyd, KSTP reports.
State Attorney General Keith Ellison said that’s not happening: “He still owes Minnesota 22-and-a-half years. And, he’s going to do it either in Minnesota or somewhere, but he’s not getting out,” he said.
Rumor has it that the Minnesota Department of Corrections is preparing to pick Chauvin up from a federal penitentiary in Texas and bring him back to Oak Park Heights Prison in Minnesota to serve the rest of his 22-and-a-half-year sentence.
The rumor is seemingly circulating to everyone but Trump, who, when asked in March about possibly pardoning Chauvin, said, “No, I have not heard about that.”
Walz shared similar sentiments, confirming that the White House hasn’t communicated about Chauvin being pardoned. However, Walz says he will be ready, saying it “behooves” the state to prepare for such acts. “If Donald Trump exercises his constitutional right to do so, whether I agree — and I strongly disagree with him — if he issues that pardon, we will simply transfer Derek Chauvin to serve out his 22-and-a-half years in prison in Minnesota,” Walz said, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
“So, no indication whether they’re going to do it or not, but I think it behooves us to be prepared for it. With this presidency, it seems like that might be something they would do.”
As the fifth anniversary of Floyd’s death approaches on May 25, Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette is preparing for both celebrations of life and civil unrest. “We’ve heard the same rumors as everyone else–– but the bottom line is that Derek Chauvin would remain behind bars serving his state sentence even if his federal charges are pardoned,“ Barnette said.
“To be clear, we have no credible intelligence about any pardon or planned disruptions here in Minneapolis. Since 2020, we’ve overhauled our emergency management plans and, out of an abundance of caution, are planning for any eventuality.”
Some congress members, like Georgia lawmaker Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, are fueling the rumors. On X, she reposted an article related to the pardon, saying she “strongly” supports Chauvin being pardoned and pushed a narrative that Floyd died of a drug overdose. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) immediately jumped in to correct her. “Marjorie, I know the truth confuses you and facts ain’t your strong suit—so let me break it down real slow,” Crockett said.
“George Floyd didn’t die from drugs. He died because Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 minutes. That’s called murder. We all saw it. You can lie to yourself all day, but the rest of us remember exactly what happened.”
Chauvin isn’t expected to be released from federal prison until November 2037. He is scheduled to be released from state custody in December 2035 and then placed on supervised release until 2043.
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