{"id":25721,"date":"2020-06-01T23:33:06","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T23:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/06\/01\/soldier-fired-shots-on-vehicle-that-posed-a-threat-minnesota-guard-commander-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:37:07","slug":"soldier-fired-shots-on-vehicle-that-posed-a-threat-minnesota-guard-commander-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/06\/01\/soldier-fired-shots-on-vehicle-that-posed-a-threat-minnesota-guard-commander-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Soldier fired shots on vehicle that posed a threat, Minnesota Guard commander says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An unknown vehicle allegedly driving at high speeds toward Minnesota National Guard<\/a> personnel and their police counterparts was shot at three times in Minneapolis on Sunday night, the state adjutant general said during a Monday press conference with the governor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur soldier fired three rounds from his rifle in response to a perceived and legitimate threat to him and the Minnesota police officers he was in direct support of,\u201d said Minnesota National Guard commander Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen. \u201cThe vehicle changed course and fled the scene. At this time no injuries have been reported.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jensen said the vehicle\u2019s driver refused to slow down after both \u201cverbal and non-verbal\u201d signals were given and \u201cnon-lethal methods\u201d were employed. He did not elaborate on what those signals and methods were, but added that an investigation is underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It appears to be the second instance of mobilized guardsmen firing shots<\/a> during the mass protests<\/a> that have popped up across the country over the death of George Floyd, a black man whose videotaped death while handcuffed and in Minneapolis police custody sparked unrest across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first shooting occurred when Kentucky National Guardsmen and police discharged their weapons during a deadly shooting early Monday morning in Louisville after someone in a large group allegedly fired at them first. Kentucky\u2019s governor called for the release of police video from that incident, but Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said Monday that police officers didn\u2019t activate their body cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis type of institutional failure will not be tolerated,\u201d Fischer said during a press conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Louisville police chief was relieved of command after the shooting, which happened just past midnight outside a food market. Police and guardsmen were called in to break up a large group of individuals violating the city\u2019s curfew, according to Louisville\u2019s acting police chief, Robert Schroeder.<\/p>\n\n\n\t