As governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz ordered police to shoot residents with paintball weapons for not obeying curfew orders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whereas Walz did enact a curfew in Minneapolis, it was in response to protests over the killing of George Floyd, not due to the COVID-19 pandemic; nor did he order police to shoot paintball weapons at residents to implement the curfew.
On Aug. 6, 2024, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris introduced that her Democratic operating mate within the 2024 presidential election can be Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Within the months following the announcement, Republican influencers incessantly tried to discredit Walz with rumors and innuendo and assault his file as governor.Â
One such declare was that in summer time 2020, Walz ordered police to shoot residents on their porches with paintball weapons for breaking curfew throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Snopes found examples of this declare relationship again to simply after Harris introduced Walz would be a part of her marketing campaign.
This declare is fake. Whereas Walz did order a curfew, that order was not issued on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, nor did it instruct police to shoot paintballs at folks.Â
Walz declared a peacetime emergency on Could 28, 2020, following the massive protests over the homicide of George Floyd by the hands of Minneapolis police. On that day, he activated the Minnesota Nationwide Guard. The next day, Walz introduced a curfew in Minneapolis and St. Paul between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. One of many government orders extending that curfew could be considered here.
The video shared in social media posts was of police officers enforcing the curfew — albeit in a approach not stipulated in Walz’s government order. In keeping with a FAQ page on the Minnesota Division of Public Security’s web site, folks have been allowed to be outdoors on their property throughout the curfew. Nevertheless, the instruction additionally famous that “if a legislation enforcement officer or different public security official asks you to go inside, or take another motion, you have to comply with the instruction.”
There was no point out of paintballs in Walz’s government order. It’s unclear why the police selected to implement the curfew that approach. Feedback on a submit within the r/Minnesota subreddit from the time the unique video was shared expressed confusion about this level as properly.
Sources
“George Floyd Protest Turns Lethal; Minneapolis Mayor Requests Nationwide Guard.” NBC Information, 28 Could 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/information/us-news/conflict-erupts-minneapolis-l-protests-over-george-floyd-death-n1216096.
“Harris Introduces New Working Mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz because the ‘Vice President America Deserves.'” AP Information, 6 Aug. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/harris-running-mate-philadelphia-rally-multistate-tour-02c7ebce765deef0161708b29fe0069e.
Multi-Company Command Heart – Continuously Requested Questions concerning the Curfew. 3 June 2020, https://net.archive.org/net/20200603050124/https://dps.mn.gov/macc/Pages/faq.aspx.
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