Minnesota protest live updates: ‘Prudent’ to have Army units ready to deploy to Minnesota, governor says

The death of George Floyd, a black man who was seen pinned down in a video by a white police officer and later died, has caused outrage in the city of Minneapolis and across the United States. What started as mostly peaceful protests at the beginning of the week has turned into chaos.

City leaders have pleaded with communities to voice their outrage in a lawful manner, but the widespread escalation of protests continued Friday night into Saturday.

Murder and manslaughter charges have been filed against Derek Chauvin, one of the four officers at the scene, who were all fired. The Department of Justice has said a full investigation of the incident is a “top priority.”

Prosecutors said Chauvin, who was the officer seen in video pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck, had his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd was unresponsive for two minutes and 53 seconds of the encounter.

This story will be updated as protests continue throughout the country. Please check back for updates. All times Eastern.

7:24 a.m.: Portland mayor declares State of Emergency

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced Saturday morning that he’s declaring a State of Emergency in the city following the destructive unrest in the wake of the death of Floyd.

He also announced the city has a curfew in effect until 6 a.m. local time Saturday and will begin again at 8 p.m.

“Burning buildings with people inside, stealing from small and large businesses, threatening and harassing reporters. All in the middle of a pandemic where people have already lost everything,” Wheeler said in a statement Saturday. “This isn’t calling for meaningful change in our communities, this is disgusting.”

Overnight the Portland Police Department declared the protest as a riot after “significant vandalism” was reported and a fire was set inside the city’s Justice Center. Police said there was also a shooting connected to the protest.

Police said large sections of downtown were closed and that protesters should “disperse now or you will be subject to gas, projectiles, and other means necessary for dispersal.”

5:43 a.m.: 1 dead in Detroit after person opens fire on protesters from vehicle

One person is dead in Detroit after a vehicle drove up on people protesting the death of Floyd and opened fire, according to authorities.

A gray Dodge Durango pulled up and fired into the crowd, hitting a 19-year-old man who later died at the hospital, a Detroit Police Department spokesperson told ABC affiliate WXYZ.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said the violence and destruction overnight is not what the city of Detroit is about.

“This does not represent the vast major of Detroiters who came here to make a statement,” Craig said during a press conference Friday night. “We support the message, but let’s do it peacefully.”

A Detroit Police officer uses tear-gas during a protest in the city of Detroit, Michigan, on May 29, 2020, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white policeman kneeled on his neck for several minutes. – Violent protests erupted across the United States late on May 29, over the death of a handcuffed black man in police custody, with murder charges laid against the arresting Minneapolis officer failing to quell boiling anger.

A Detroit Police officer uses tear-gas during a protest in the city of Detroit, Michigan, on May 29, 2020, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white policeman kneeled on his neck for several minutes. – Violent protests erupted across the United States late on May 29, over the death of a handcuffed black man in police custody, with murder charges laid against the arresting Minneapolis officer failing to quell boiling anger.Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images

He said many of the people taunting police officers and trying to incite violence have come from outside the city to sow chaos.

“We know that the individuals from outside the city of Detroit who converged at the protest location don’t represent this city. They are not from this city,” Craig said. “Let’s peacefully protest, but outside of that, we’re not going to tolerate it. We’re not going to tolerate criminal acts.”

4:26 a.m.: ‘Prudent’ to have Army units ready to deploy to Minnesota, governor says

As fires raged and protests escalated even further throughout Minneapolis Saturday morning, local and state officials said getting the chaos under control will take a response never before seen in the state because “there’s simply more of them than us.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said at least 1,000 additional Minnesota National Guard troops would be activated Saturday, and even then, that might not be enough. He said that is why the state is considering using active-duty Army units, which are reportedly being put on alert to deploy to Minneapolis, according to a late-night report from the Associated Press.

“You may have seen or heard that, this evening, the president directed the Pentagon to put units of United States Army on alert to possible operation in Minneapolis,” Maj. General John Jensen, Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard, said during a press conference Saturday. “While we were not consulted with, as it relates to that, I do believe it’s a prudent move to provide other options available for the governor, if the governor elects to use those resources.”

Walz said it’s more complicated than just saying yes and deploying them now because the move to have federal troops patrolling in Minneapolis would be something never before seen in the state.

“I spoke with President Trump the other night, I think it is prudent to have them ready for us to exhaust all resources that we need,” Walz said Saturday.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Walz angrily took to the podium Saturday morning to ask those setting fires, attacking officers and looting businesses to stop.

“We as a city can be so much better than this,” Frey said at the press conference Saturday. “There is no honor in burning down your city. There is no pride in looting local businesses that have become institutions of a neighborhood.”

A protester stands in front of a fire during a demonstration against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., early May 30, 2020.

A protester stands in front of a fire during a demonstration against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., early May 30, 2020.Lucas Jackson/Reuters

He said people, especially during a pandemic, are counting on grocery stores being open to get groceries, pharmacies to get needed medicine and banks to get money.

“If you care about your community, you got to put this to an end; it needs to stop,” Frey said.

Walz said the tragedy of Floyd’s death has morphed into “an unprecedented threat to our state,” where those causing destruction have no regard to property or life.

Dozens of arrests were made on Friday, but an official total has not been released for the city. In one instance, shots were fired at law enforcement officers overnight.

ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.