Private autopsy: George Floyd died of asphyxiation

A different version of events. The Star Tribune’s Paul Walsh and Liz Navratil report: “Attorneys representing George Floyd’s family released findings of their own autopsy that said the man was asphyxiated while now-fired officer Derek Chauvin had his kneeing pinning Floyd’s neck. The results directly challenged preliminary results from the examination by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office that he was not strangled, but died from other factors, including being restrained.”

Curfew extended. WCCO reports: “Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Monday to extend the curfew in the Twin Cities. … At a morning press conference, the governor said the curfew will be extended two days (Monday and Tuesday) for Minneapolis and St. Paul, but the nightly duration will be shortened, from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Those out past the curfew, unless they are emergency workers, journalists or fleeing a dangerous situation, will be subject to arrest.”

More info on the trucker who drove into protesters on 35W. The Star Tribune’s Paul Walsh reports: “State authorities said Monday that the driver of tanker truck did not intend to hit anyone when he drove onto the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, sending protesters running for their lives. … Government officials say the trucker, 35-year-old Bogdan Vechirko, may not have realized that I-35W and other interstates had been closed as part of the ongoing unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd last week after an encounter with Minneapolis police. … No injuries among demonstrators have been confirmed, the officials said.”

At NBC News, Emily R. Siegel, Andrew W. Lehren and Andrew Blankstein report: “Since the beginning of 2015, officers from the Minneapolis Police Department have rendered people unconscious with neck restraints 44 times, according to an NBC News analysis of police records.  … More than a dozen police officials and law enforcement experts told NBC News that the particular tactic Chauvin used — kneeling on a suspect’s neck — is neither taught nor sanctioned by any police agency. A Minneapolis city official told NBC News Chauvin’s tactic is not permitted by the Minneapolis police department. For most major police departments, variations of neck restraints, known as chokeholds, are highly restricted — if not banned outright. … The version of the Minneapolis Police Department’s policy manual that is available on-line, however, does permit the use of neck restraints that can render suspects unconscious, and the protocol for their use has not been updated for more than eight years.”

Harteau on Kroll. City Pages’ Mike Mullen writes: “[Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis President] Bob Kroll is so unpopular even a guy like Bob Kroll knows he’s unpopular. … This won’t help. … The president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis has a long history of statements that’ve turned the local public against him. For a sampling, try this, this, this, and this, though feel free to search our website or the entire internet for more. … Kroll’s on the record at length, as of this morning, though not at his choosing. A letter he sent to federation members was obtained by former Minneapolis Police Department chief Janee Harteau. Harteau, who clashed with Kroll during her time as chief, took the letter public on Twitter, where she called Kroll a ‘disgrace to the badge!’”

In other news…

A little good news: “Donations to businesses destroyed by looters and rioters on Minneapolis’ Lake Street surpass $2M” [Star Tribune]

A little more: “Minneapolis Middle School overwhelmed by donations at drive” [KARE]

A familiar but still poignant story: “How Minneapolis, One of America’s Most Liberal Cities, Struggles With Racism” [New York Times]

Then what: “Target plans to pay store employees displaced by unrest for up to 14 days” [Pioneer Press]

More info: “A deeper look at the four officers fired after George Floyd death” [Star Tribune]

Shooting incident: “Two dead at Grand Forks air base” [MPR]

There are a lot of them: “We’re Keeping A Running List Of Hoaxes And Misleading Posts About The Nationwide Police Brutality Protests” [BuzzFeed news]

Fire take deleted: “Hexagon Bar’s Facebook post blaming ‘Black Lives Matter arsonists’ now taken down” [Star Tribune]