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    Minneapolis NHL Winter Classic sets record for coldest game in league history

    The Target Center in Minneapolis set the record for the coldest game in National Hockey League history when it hosted the Winter Classic on Saturday night.

    According to Fox 9 Minneapolis, temperatures when the puck dropped at 6:20 p.m. between the Minnesota Wild vs St. Louis Blues were around -7 degrees, and the wind chill was predicted to be around -18 degrees.

    At 8:30 p.m., temperatures at the stadium were around -9 degrees. 

    Previously, according to the NHL, the coldest outdoor game was played between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens in Edmonton.

    RANGERS WIN SHOOTOUT, END LIGHTNING’S 7-GAME HOME WIN STREAK

    Target Center on Saturday, January 1. (Credit: Fox 9 IDS Center webcam)

    Because of the cold weather, according to the NHL, 40,000 hand-warmers are available to be distributed at the game and concession stands will have soup.

    Even in sub-zero weather, the ice still has to be heated, according to the article. 

    “Once we get too cold, we can have some issues with it being brittle or skate marks where it does chip away, so we really try to control that temperature,” NHL’s senior manager of facilities operations, Mike Craig, said.

    WEEGAR, VERHAEGHE HELP RALLY PANTHERS PAST RANGERS 4-3

    Fans outside the Target Center on January 1 before the Winter Classic. (Credit: Fox 9 staff) ((Credit: Fox 9 staff))

    Since conditions are so cold, heat will be transferred to the ice from a mobile refrigeration unit.

    “When the air temperature is above the optimum ice temperature, the glycol and aluminum pans transfer heat away from the ice. But when the air temperature is below the optimum ice temperature, it transfers heat to the ice. The NHL has used a custom-made inline heater before to warm the glycol in the pipes on the way to the floor, but here it will use two inline heaters for the first time, one at the refrigeration truck and another in the outfield. The crew can calibrate the temperature to a half-degree,” the NHL article noted.

    Fans outside the Target Center on January 1 before the Winter Classic. (Credit: Fox 9 staff) ((Credit: Fox 9 staff))

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    The NHL, however, doesn’t believe the cold weather will discourage fans from attending the game.

    “We had a lot of people here in Minnesota who told us also how tough a Minnesota fan is, and that was certainly a factor in coming here,” NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said.

    Minneapolis NHL Winter Classic sets record for coldest game in league history

    Brrr!!! Maybe playing hockey indoors isn’t such a bad idea after all.

    Target Field in Minneapolis set the record for the coldest game in NHL history when it hosted the league’s annual Winter Classic on Saturday night.

    The game between the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues ended in a 6-4 win for St. Louis.

    Temperatures when the puck dropped at 6:20 p.m. were around minus-7 degrees, with the wind chill estimated to be around minus-18 degrees, FOX 9 of Minneapolis reported.

    By 8:30 p.m., temperatures at the stadium – which is normally used by MLB’s Minnesota Twins for baseball in the spring and summer – were around minus-9 degrees. 

    Previously, the coldest outdoor NHL game was played between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens in Edmonton, according to the league.

    RANGERS WIN SHOOTOUT, END LIGHTNING’S 7-GAME HOME WIN STREAK

    Target Field on Saturday, January 1. (Credit: Fox 9 IDS Center webcam)

    Because of the cold weather, some 40,000 hand-warmers were available to be distributed at the game and concession stands offered soup, according to the NHL.

    Even in sub-zero weather, the ice still has to be heated, according to the league. 

    “Once we get too cold, we can have some issues with it being brittle or skate marks where it does chip away, so we really try to control that temperature,” said Mike Craig, the NHL’s senior manager of facilities operations.

    WEEGAR, VERHAEGHE HELP RALLY PANTHERS PAST RANGERS 4-3

    Fans outside Target Field on Jan. 1 before the NHL’s Winter Classic.  (FOX 9 Minneapolis)

    Since conditions were so cold, heat was transferred to the ice from a mobile refrigeration unit.

    “When the air temperature is above the optimum ice temperature, the glycol and aluminum pans transfer heat away from the ice. But when the air temperature is below the optimum ice temperature, it transfers heat to the ice. The NHL has used a custom-made inline heater before to warm the glycol in the pipes on the way to the floor, but here it will use two inline heaters for the first time, one at the refrigeration truck and another in the outfield. The crew can calibrate the temperature to a half-degree,” the NHL article noted.

    Fans outside Target Field on Jan. 1 before the NHL’s Winter Classic.  (FOX 9 Minneapolis)

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    The NHL, however, didn’t expect the cold weather to discourage fans from attending the game.

    “We had a lot of people here in Minnesota who told us also how tough a Minnesota fan is, and that was certainly a factor in coming here,” NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said.

    Minnesota prosecutor in Daunte Wright case quits amid ‘vitriol,’ ‘partisan politics’ after AG Ellison takeover

    A local prosecutor in Minnesota who was handling the case of the former Brooklyn Center police officer, Kim Potter, charged in the deadly shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, has resigned, citing “vitriol” and “partisan politics” that have made his “job difficult to pursue justice.” 

    Imran Ali, who’s worked for the past 10 years at the Washington County Attorney’s Office, where he most recently was serving as the assistance criminal division chief, submitted a short resignation letter on Monday. His resignation will take effect on June 17, KSTP reported. 

    “The last several weeks have been difficult for my family,” Ali said in the letter addressed to his boss, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput. “The vitriol from some and the infusion of partisan politics by many has made my job difficult to pursue justice. I pray that our state heals and the extreme partisan platforms dissipate. We must return to thoughtful discourse that unites, not impulsive, irrational talking points that divide. Until then, there will be no peace, and no justice.”

    Though the letter does not cite Wright’s death, it comes just days after Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Friday that he’s taking over Potter’s prosecution. Ellison said his office would also review the charging decision for Potter, who faces a single count of second-degree manslaughter.

    KIM POTTER TENTATIVE DECEMBER TRIAL DATE SET FOR DAUNTE WRIGHT’S DEATH 

    Just four days after Wright was fatally shot on April 11 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, located in Hennepin County outside of Minneapolis, Orput announced the second-degree manslaughter charge against Potter. Orput’s office first handled prosecution after Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman handed over the case as part of a metropolitan area agreement regarding officer-involved shootings. 

    Wright’s death sparked several nights of demonstrations in the area amid already heightened security measures put in place during the trial for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was later convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. 

    Before the charging decision was announced for Potter, Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said he was going against the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s advice in deciding to release body-camera footage of the shooting. In playing out the video at a press conference, he remarked that it appeared Potter had intended to grab her Taser, but grabbed her handgun by mistake. 

    Potter can be heard yelling “Taser” repeatedly in the video before a single shot was fired. Both Gannon and Potter resigned after the press conference. Brooklyn Center City Manager Curt Boganey was fired by City Council after suggesting Potter be afforded due process, and Mayor Mike Elliott’s office then assumed command authority over the police department. 

    Activists quickly argued for Ellison to take over the case and for the charges to be upgraded to murder. 

    There have been protests outside Orput’s home in Stillwater, Minnesota, KARE reported. 

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    Asked about Ali’s resignation, Orput told KARE simply, “I’m losing my best prosecutor and one of my dearest friends. I’m saddened, but I’m also excited for him.” In a separate comment to the Daily Beast, Orput stressed that Ali’s resignation was not related to Potter’s case. 

    Biden DOJ dispatches ‘peacemakers’ to Minneapolis ahead of Chauvin verdict: report

    The Justice Department has reportedly dispatched officials from its Community Relations Service to act as peacemakers and facilitate listening sessions amid fallout from the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial.

    The verdict was expected to be read on Tuesday afternoon.

    BIDEN OFFERED SUPPORT IN CALL WITH GEORGE FLOYD FAMILY

    An unnamed senior Justice Department official told the Associated Press that officials from the Community Relations Service had been sent to Minneapolis.

    The officials tout themselves as “America’s Peacemaker” by mediating disputes in communities and holding listening sessions to help prevent future conflicts.

    Derek Chauvin speaks during trial, invokes Fifth Amendment, will not testify. (Court TV)
    (Court TV)

    A federal civil rights investigation, separate from the trial, remains ongoing. Several witnesses were subpoenaed earlier this year to appear before a federal grand jury considering charges against Chauvin.

    The Justice Department’s civil rights investigation has been focused on Chauvin and some of the witnesses, including other officers who worked with Chauvin, people familiar with the matter have told the AP.

    Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, said Tuesday that President Biden called him to offer support as closing arguments ended and jury deliberation began in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

    “He knows how it is to lose a family member, and he knows the process of what we’re going through,” Philonise Floyd said of Biden during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show. “He just let us know he was praying for us and hoping everything would come out to be OK.”

    While Philonise Floyd said he wanted protesters to remain “peaceful,” he said he couldn’t prevent people from expressing their pain – especially following the recent fatal police shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright just 10 miles from Floyd’s encounter with Chauvin last May.

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    “It has been an emotional cinema picture, everyone watching around the world. We just want everybody to be peaceful, but at the same time I can’t stop people from doing the things that they’re doing because people are in pain, they’re hurt,” he said. “Daunte Wright was just killed 10 miles away from where we were in the courtroom. We just want everybody to get it together and understand we can live with each other in unity. And we stand in solidarity with everybody across America.”

    Fox News’ inquiries to the Community Relations Service were not returned at the time of publication.

    The Associated Press and Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

    Who is Curt Boganey? Former Brooklyn Center city manager was dismissed after Daunte Wright shooting

    Former Brooklyn Center City Manager Curt Boganey was dismissed Monday after he publicly differed with Mayor Mike Elliott on whether the police officer who fatally shot a Black man in the Minneapolis suburb should be fired, saying the officer deserved “due process.”

    Boganey was a longtime Brooklyn Center employee. He had served as city manager since 2003, according to a LinkedIn profile bearing his name and photo. He is a graduate of Oakland University in Michigan. However, the Star Tribune reported he had worked for the city since 2005.

    As city manager, Boganey’s responsibilities included authority over personnel decisions related to Brooklyn Center’s police department. The role drew national scrutiny after the White police officer, later identified as Kim Potter, fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop.

    BROOKLYN CENTER CITY MANAGER FIRED AFTER CALL FOR DUE PROCESS FOR POLICE OFFICER

    Boganey did not immediately return multiple requests for comment on his dismissal.

    MINNESOTA OFFICER MEANT TO FIRE TASER, NOT HANDGUN, IN DEADLY DAUNTE WRIGHT SHOOTING, POLICE CHIEF SAYS

    The Brooklyn Center city council voted to remove Boganey within hours of a press conference in which he and Elliott discussed potential disciplinary action against Potter. Elliott spoke first and made clear that he felt Potter should be fired in response to the shooting.

    “Let me be very clear – my position is that we cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people in our profession,” Elliott said. “I do fully support releasing the officer of her duties.”

    Elliott then directed Boganey to address the situation. Before Boganey took the podium, Elliott noted that his role as city manager gave him authority to determine whether the officer would be removed.

    Boganey, who is Black, noted that the officer would receive due process in the form of an investigation.

    “All employees working for the city of Brooklyn Center are entitled to due process with respect to discipline,” Boganey said. “This employee will receive due process and that’s really all that I can say today.”

    When asked if he personally felt the officer should be fired, Boganey reiterated his stance.

    “If I were to answer that question, I’d be contradicting what I said a moment ago — which is to say that all employees are entitled to due process, and after that due process, discipline will be determined,” Boganey said. “If I were to say anything else, I would actually be contradicting the idea of due process.”

    Press conference attendees pushed back on Boganey’s remarks. One speaker pointed out that Wright had not received due process prior to the fatal shooting.

    Shortly after the press conference concluded, the Brooklyn Center city council voted at an emergency meeting to give Elliott command authority over the police department. The council also voted to remove Boganey from his post.

    Reggie Edwards was named acting city manager. Councilmember Dan Ryan was the only member who voted against the measure. 

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    Councilmember Kris Lawrence-Anderson said she voted to fire Boganey because she feared potential retaliation if she did not, according to the Star Tribune.

    “He was doing a great job. I respect him dearly,” Lawrence-Anderson said during a virtual workshop. “I didn’t want repercussions at a personal level.”

    Both Potter and Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon have since resigned from their posts. Gannon stepped down one day after he said the shooting was considered an accidental discharge because the officer meant to fire her Taser, not her service weapon.

    Minneapolis residents say crime is rising after funding shift

    Residents of Minneapolis‘ Southside on Thursday voiced their concerns about rising crime in the area and frustration with the city’s response.

    Complaints come after the city approved a plan on July 24 to move $1.1 million in funding from the police department to the Minneapolis Office of Violence Prevention. Minneapolis protesters called for police reform or a complete defunding of the police department after George Floyd, a Black man, died in police custody on May 25.

    “They got for this initiative — this violence prevention initiative. They got $1.1 million to prevent violence or whatever. Well, excuse me, but I haven’t seen any prevention of violence,” Central neighborhood resident Karen Forbes told KARE11 News.

    The Minneapolis Public Health & Safety Committee on Thursday also released the beginning stages of a community safety plan that aims to find alternatives to police and policing activity through proposals such as mental health co-responder teams, domestic violence outreach and a violence prevention fund.

    “We were hoping that they would listen to us,” Forbes said in reference to a group of residents who reached out to the committee during the meeting to share their ideas for a plan to suppress crime in the area, but the discussion did not allow public comments.

    Community members will have the opportunity to make public comments on Oct. 8, the Committee told KARE11 in a statement.

    Forbes said a bullet recently went through her wall. Bill Rodriguez, who lives in the Bancroft neighborhood, told the outlet that he recently experienced a break-in. Other residents say they’ve noticed more frequent police sirens and gunshots in the area, KARE11 reported.

    MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL ALARMED BY SURGE IN CRIME MONTHS AFTER VOTING TO DEFUND THE POLICE

    The Minneapolis City Council discussed residents’ concerns with spikes in crime during a Sept. 16 meeting after voting to transfer funding.

    An AutoZone store burns as protesters gather outside of the Third Precinct in Minneapolis Thursday, May 28, 2020. (Mark Vancleave/Star Tribune via AP)

    Rodriguez said the Health & Safety Committee “didn’t want to take public comments on public safety.”

    The Committee said in a statement to KARE11 that Thursday’s discussion “did not include an open comment period. There was only one period during today’s meeting where the public could provide comments, and that was as part of a public hearing on a proposed food catering ordinance.”

    MINNEAPOLIS COMMENDS GROUP OF BLACK MEN PATROLLING STREETS, PROTECTING BUSINESSES AFTER DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD

    “The City has an obligation to ensure all of its public meetings comply with the law and that full and fair access is available to anyone interested in participating. State statute requires us to provide a minimum of three days public notice prior to a public comment period, and today’s staff presentation on transforming public safety did not include public comment,” the statement added.

    Rodriguez argued that the Committee “easily could’ve suspended the rules and said, ‘OK, you’re here, technicality, let’s let you speak anyway.’ They said, ‘No way. Ain’t going to happen.'”

    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz deployed the state’s National Guard in June and late August amid civil unrest in the city after several incidents of White officers shooting Black men and women in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kentucky and other states this summer.

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    Minneapolis Jacob Blake protest leads to 11 arrests, at least 1 officer injured, police say

    Police in Minneapolis, Minn., arrested 11 people in connection with a protest that devolved into a riot overnight in the wake of the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin, officials said.

    The 11 people were held with probable cause for charges ranging from damage to property and unlawful assembly to rioting, Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson said in a Tuesday morning press release.

    As many as 100 demonstrators congregated in front of the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center, where Hutchinson said they “broke windows at the detention center and threatened to breach the security of the jail.”

    At least one officer was injured, suffering a broken hand during a confrontation with a protester, officials said.

    JACOB BLAKE’S FATHER SAYS SON LEFT PARTIALLY PARALYZED BY POLICE SHOOTING: REPORT

    Protesters hold signs outside the Minneapolis 1st Police precinct during a demonstration against police brutality and racism on August 24, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images)

    “We fully support peaceful protests, but we can not — and will not — allow demonstrators to destroy property or jeopardize the safety and security of our inmates, our deputies and our jail,” Hutchinson said.

    JACOB BLAKE SEEN STRUGGLING WITH OFFICERS BEFORE BEING SHOT, NEW VIDEO SHOWS

    Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department had also made five arrests, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

    “We believe that’s what brought the demonstrators to the jail,” Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Andy Skoogman told the outlet. “They were yelling and chanting to release those who had been arrested.”

    According to the report, one person broke the glass to one of the jail’s entrance doors while a sheriff’s deputy was standing on the other side. Protesters also allegedly tried to block the garage from which inmates come and go and attempted to zip-tie some of the facility’s exterior doors.

    Demonstrators were protesting Sunday’s police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was seen in a video that appeared to show him being shot in the back multiple times. His three children were reportedly in the car at the time.

    In the footage, Blake can be seen walking from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed and shout at him. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and appears to open fire while Blake apparently has his back turned. Seven shots can be heard, though it isn’t clear how many struck Blake or how many officers fired.

    JACOB BLAKE CASE: MADISON PROTESTS TURN TO LOOTING, UNREST IN SECOND NIGHT FOLLOWING KENOSHA POLICE SHOOTING

    Protests and riots have since been reported in Kenosha and Madison, Wis., Chicago and other parts of the country.

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    Just months earlier, protests flared in the Minnesotan city following the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25. Floyd, a 49-year-old Black man, died after a white police officer had held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, despite Floyd’s several shouts that he couldn’t breathe. Floyd was handcuffed at the time.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Minnesota fails to pass police reform bill; Gov. Walz says he’s ’embarrassed’

    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz expressed his frustration Saturday after a weeks-long special session in the state’s senate failed to pass a police reform bill.

    Walz said he was “embarrassed” a decision couldn’t be made after the death of George Floyd “and a national reckoning on race and police accountability.”

    “The world was watching us,” he added.

    Minnesota State Senate Republicans had said they would review changes Democratic lawmakers proposed within a week, officially wrapping everything up Friday — despite having no official deadline.

    Republican lawmakers gave what they called “one final offer” on police reforms, which Democrats said fell short of any real changes.

    SECOND FIRED MINNEAPOLIS COP LINKED TO GEORGE FLOYD CASE RELEASED ON BAIL: REPORTS

    Republicans rejected three proposals, according to FOX 9, including any defunding of the police, granting voting rights to felons and giving the Attorney General jurisdiction over police-involved deaths.

    “Minor changes can’t fix major problems,” Democrat Sen. Jeff Hayden said after Senate Republicans presented their offer.

    Democratic lawmakers submitted a counteroffer about two hours after Republicans had submitted their initial offer. But Walz said Saturday that Republican lawmakers never responded to the Democratic caucus.

    “Senate adjourned without saying what was wrong with that offer on accountability, what was wrong with those issues,” Waltz said during a news conference Saturday, adding: “This is a failure to engage.”

    OFFICER CHARGED IN FLOYD’S DEATH ELIGIBLE FOR PENSION MONEY

    Walz said some legislators take the attitude of “their way or the highway, and that is not acceptable.”

    “To take your ball home in the middle of this, this is an embarrassment for Minnesota,” Walz said, making his frustrations clear.

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    Walz said legislators had more than enough time to read the bill in full and work to negotiate a compromise that both Republicans and Democrats could have agreed on.

    “I am a really angry citizen,” Walz added, urging Republican and Democratic senators to come back to the table and negotiate.

    Top Minneapolis pol ducks question on how ‘dismantle’ police push would affect crime victims, cites ‘privilege’

    Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender dodged a question Monday morning on what people facing danger from criminals would do if her efforts to “dismantle” the city’s police department actually succeed.

    Bender has been among the most vocal politicians behind the movement to dismantle the city’s police force in the wake of the May 25 death of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department. Last week she said “[w]e are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a transformative new model of public safety” and over the weekend she joined a veto-proof majority of the council committing to “dismantle” the law enforcement institution.

    But on Monday, she struggled to answer a question from CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on what would happen if a person needed help because someone had broken into their home.

    MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR JACOB FREY REJECTS CITY COUNCIL’S PUSH TO DEFUND POLICE, DESPITE VETO-PROOF MAJORITY

    “Do you understand that the word, dismantle, or police-free also makes some people nervous, for instance?” Camerota asked. “What if in the middle of [the] night, my home is broken into? Who do I call?”

    “I mean, I hear that loud and clear from a lot of my neighbors,” Bender said. “And I know — and myself, too, and I know that that comes from a place of privilege. Because for those of us for whom the system is working, I think we need to step back and imagine what it would feel like to already live in that reality where calling the police may mean more harm is done.”

    Bender detailed some of what the council’s proposed reforms would mean in many cases where the police are called, but still did not answer Camerota’s question directly.

    “We’ve done an analysis of all the reasons people call 911 and have looked up ways we can shift the response away from our armed police officers into a more appropriate response for mental health calls, for some domestic violence calls, for health-related issues,” Bender said.

    ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ WRESTS SUPPORT FROM POLITICIANS FROM COAST-TO-COAST — AND STEAMROLLS HOLDOUTS

    Earlier in the interview, Camerota also pushed Bender on what exactly she and her council colleagues mean when they say they want to dismantle the police department.

    “So what are you trying to do?” Camerota asked. “Are you hoping by dismantling the Minneapolis Police Department that you will be getting rid of the police department?”

    “I think in Minneapolis, watching George Floyd’s death, and the four — the actions of the four police officers that were involved has been a huge wake-up call for so many in Minneapolis to see what many already knew, which is that our police department is not keeping every member of our community safe,” Bender replied.

    Lisa Bender, the president of the Minneapolis City Council, has been on the forefront of calls to dismantle that city’s police department. (Minneapolis City Council)

    THESE CITIES HAVE BEGUN DEFUNDING POLICE IN THE WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS

    Camerota further asked Bender to confirm that she meant “dismantle” as something different than “reform” and was advocating for a “police-free future.”

    “Yeah,” Bender replied, slamming the “militarized police force” and saying the city should invest “in things that we know work to keep people safe” rather than police.

    Jeremiah Ellison, the son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and also a member of the Minneapolis City Council, was more explicit in a tweet last week.

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    “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. And when we’re done, we’re not simply gonna glue it back together,” he said in a tweet. “We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response. It’s really past due.”

    The calls to take apart the Minneapolis Police Department have been fueled by anger following Floyd’s death. Police officer Derek Chauvin was seen on video using his knee to pin Floyd to the ground by his neck for nearly nine minutes, and has now been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers who were present were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

    The incident sparked protests around the country, some of which turned into violent riots and looting. It has also sparked calls to defund the police in cities around the country, with New York and Los Angeles specifically proposing cutting huge chunks of their police budgets to redirect funds to other priorities, like social services.

    Trump seeks to clarify tweet on Minneapolis: ‘Looting leads to shooting’

    President Trump sought to clarify what he meant in a tweet Thursday night about the unrest in Minneapolis after Twitter flagged it and claimed he was “glorifying violence.”

    “Looting leads to shooting, and that’s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night – or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot,” Trump tweeted Friday. “I don’t want this to happen, and that’s what the expression put out last night means. It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement.”

    “It’s very simple, nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media. Honor the memory of George Floyd!” the president added.

    Twitter took action against Trump for the second time this week when it censored the president’s original “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” tweet.

    The Trump campaign accused Twitter, the media and Democrats of trying to divide Americans by “purposefully misrepresenting” Trump’s words.

    “The media, Joe Biden, and the Democrats pounced, purposefully misrepresenting what the President had said, and showing once again that they are incapable of resisting their base impulse of dividing Americans, solely for the purpose of political gain, ratings, and cable news profit,” said Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale.

    “A man has died, a police officer is charged with murder, an American city is in chaos, and Democrats and the media see only a political opportunity and a chance to make money,” Parscale continued.

    Trump announced Wednesday night that he had ordered the FBI and the Justice Department to investigate the killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd, calling it a “very sad and tragic death,” but the president also expressed outrage about the protests that followed.

    TWITTER CENSORS TRUMP’S MINNEAPOLIS TWEET FOR ‘GLORIFYING VIOLENCE’

    “I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right.

    A second tweet continued: “These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let this happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you.”

    A few hours after the president sent those tweets, Twitter added a disclaimer onto the second tweet, which hides the message until users click “view.”

    “This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible,” the disclaimer reads.

    POLICE CHIEFS ACROSS US CONDEMN OFFICERS INVOLVED IN GEORGE FLOYD DEATH 

    Critics on Twitter said Trump’s comments had racial undertones and said the term “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” can be traced back to Miami Police Chief Walter Headley in 1967 as a threat to black protesters during the civil rights movement. Twitter also pointed to the “historical context” of the remark as grounds for its classification as “glorifying violence.”

    Floyd, 46, was pronounced dead Monday night after Minnesota Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck after putting him in handcuffs, as Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe. Three other officers stood by, and all four of them have been fired from the force. Chauvin was taken into custody on Friday and charged with third-degree murder.

    Three days of protests have taken place across the state, with one man shot dead on Wednesday, stores looted empty and a police precinct set on fire. Other cities across the nation have organized their own protests.

    Meanwhile, demonstrations in Louisville, Ky., took place Thursday night to protest the death of Breonna Taylor, a black woman shot in her home in March. During the demonstrations, seven were shot, one critically, as between 500 and 600 protesters took to the streets to seek justice for Taylor.

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    Trump fired back at Twitter on Friday: “Twitter is doing nothing about all of the lies & propaganda being put out by China or the Radical Left Democrat Party. They have targeted Republicans, Conservatives & the President of the United States. Section 230 should be revoked by Congress. Until then, it will be regulated!”

    On Tuesday, Twitter had added a “get the facts” link to a tweet from the president about mail-in ballots.