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.