Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara made it clear during an interview with Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan that Trump's Gestapo out there terrorizing our cities are actually making life harder for the local police force, not easier.
Brennan asked O'Hara what they've been able to learn about the shooting, and O'Hara explained how the feds were basically obstructing the local authorities from conducting their investigation:
O'HARA: So, unfortunately, we don't have any official information from federal law enforcement about what has happened. Even when our officers initially responded to the scene, our watch commander was not given even the most basic information that is typical in a, in a law enforcement involved shooting, just to ensure that there is potentially no other victims. Since then, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension responded to the scene at my request. They were blocked from the scene yesterday, but they have since returned to the scene and are, are now canvassing for additional witnesses and evidence that may be there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So do I understand you saying that Minnesota has just begun its investigation today?
O'HARA: There were attempts yesterday to begin the investigation. I do not know what, if anything, was conducted yesterday. I do know that while they were at the scene, more than once, they were not permitted to enter before the scene then was contaminated.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And for our viewers, Minnesota is a little bit different. There is
this Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that is the state agency that investigates use of force incidents--
O'HARA: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --They are separate from your police force.
O'HARA: Yes.
O'Hara was then asked about the Border Patrol's claim that Pretti was supposedly assaulting federal officers, and O'Hara made it clear that they're making things worse in his city for everyone, and not better, and putting a huge strain on his local police force:
O'HARA: Well, I have seen the videos, just as thousands of people around the country have, and the videos speak for themselves. I think it's deeply concerning the things that are being said.
This is an individual that was a city resident. It appears that he was present, exercising his First Amendment rights to record law enforcement activity and also exercising his Second Amendment rights to lawfully be armed in a public space in the city. So I think very obviously, there are serious questions that are being raised.
And I think the greater issue is, even if there is an investigation that ultimately proves that at the time of the shooting it was legally justified, I don't think that even matters at this point, because there just- there is so much outrage and concern around what is happening in the city.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What do you mean it does not matter at this point? You mean the situation on the ground is already- the impression is left?
O'HARA: People have had enough. This is the third shooting now in less than three weeks.
The Minneapolis Police Department went the entire year last year recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds and hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn't shoot anyone. And now this is the second American citizen that has been killed. It's the third shooting within three weeks.
People have been speaking out, saying that this was going to happen again. And I think everyone is kind of waiting for folks on both sides to come together and just figure this thing out. This is not sustainable.
This police department has only 600 police officers. We are stretched incredibly thin. This is taking an enormous toll trying to manage all of this chaos, on top of having to be the police department for a major city. It's too much.
Republicans constantly pretend they're on the side of law and order, that they "back the blue" and love the police, but not so much these days. They don't care about the law. They care about power and intimidation and they don't care how many people get killed in the process while they do their best to destroy what's left of our democracy in the United States.
