Chauvin Trial: Ohio Highway Troopers Sent To Minnesota

MINNESOTA — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is sending troopers to Minnesota to aid with any possible unrest following the outcome of the Derek Chauvin trial.

Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, is on trial for third-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and second-degree unintentional murder charges in George Floyd's Memorial Day 2020 death. Closing arguments in the trial start Monday.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz asked the Ohio Highway Patrol to provide assistance in Minnesota, a patrol spokesperson told Patch. A contingency of 100 Ohio troopers will be sent to the state, though the spokesperson could not say how long they would be deployed in Minnesota.

Read more: Derek Chauvin Trial: Watch Livestream Of Closing Arguments Monday

Floyd died May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis. Officers were sent to investigate a "forgery in progress" and arrested Floyd. He was in police custody at the time of his death, and video of his arrest shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes. All four officers who were at the scene, including Chauvin, were fired the next day, and have since been criminally charged.

Floyd's death and video of his dying moments sparked protests across the nation. Cleveland, Columbus and Akron all saw clashes between protesters and police, and destruction of public and private property.

Protests and demonstrations continued on a smaller scale throughout Ohio for months. As the outcome of the Chauvin trial approaches, the possibility for more unrest looms large.