Reports: Pentagon Tells Military Police To Prepare For Potential Deployment

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 27: Protesters are shot with pepper spray as they confront police outside the Third Police Precinct on May 27, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The station has become the site of an ongoing prote... MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 27: Protesters are shot with pepper spray as they confront police outside the Third Police Precinct on May 27, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The station has become the site of an ongoing protest after the police killing of George Floyd. Four Minneapolis police officers have been fired after a video taken by a bystander was posted on social media showing Floyd's neck being pinned to the ground by an officer as he repeatedly said, "I can’t breathe". Floyd was later pronounced dead while in police custody after being transported to Hennepin County Medical Center. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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The Pentagon on the Friday ordered the Army to prepare active-duty military police units to potentially deploy to Minneapolis, according to reports.

The Associated Press first reported the development early Saturday, followed by The New York Times. Both outlets cited unnamed officials.

The order to prepare the police units for a potential deployment began with a request from President Donald Trump, both outlets reported.

The units would be sent to Minneapolis and would supplement National Guard forces already on the ground there.

“When the White House asks for options, someone opens the drawer and pulls them out so to speak,” one unnamed official, who was reportedly on the call in which Trump made his request for deployment options, told the AP.

The Times noted that military police were deployed during the 1992 riots in Los Angeles that followed the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King.

The White House did not immediately respond to TPM’s request for comment on the potential deployment orders. But spokesperson Alyssa Farah denied to the AP that Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which would apply to military police deploying domestically, was under discussion.

“False: off the record – title 10 not under discussion,” Farah said.

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Notable Replies

  1. Every day is a reminder of why I felt sick to my stomach when it was announced Donald Trump had “won” the election.

  2. And here I thought the Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act prevented this. How silly of me.

    From an excellent, timely article

    “ the president can use the armed forces when there is an interference with federal or state law. The most generalized provision, its precise scope also remains largely untested. The president may use the military to suppress insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination or conspiracy if

    (a) it so hinders the execution of law of that State and of the United States and it deprives citizens of constitutional rights (e.g. due process); or (b) it opposes or obstructs the execution of laws or impedes the course of justice. In the event of the deprivation of rights, the State is deemed to have denied its citizens equal protection of laws.”

  3. I am watching a press conference from Minnesota and the authorities, such as the Mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, are saying there is an outside element to the protesting and some of those people are here to destroy property not protest the death of George Floyd. The Governor said they felt there might be a foreign element to this. The Mayor of St Paul said that not one of the people arrested last night was from the area. They were all coming in from elsewhere. Interesting. That is why the Governor was talking to Esper and DHS.

  4. Fat Nixon’s coming…we’re finally on our own.

  5. I think the difference here is the state is considering allowing military police to come in.

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