On April 12, 2 pm during a public safety news conference Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced a county level curfew including Hennepin, Ramsey, and Dakota counties. The curfew was prompted by the killing of Daunte Wright by Brooklyn Center police on April 11.
According to the state run Twitter account, Minnesota Operational Safety Net (OSN), the temporary curfew is scheduled from 7 p.m. through 6 a.m. Tuesday. The Minnesota OSN is a consortium of nine public safety entities in the metro Minnesota area delivering safety updates involving the Derek Chauvin trial.
Travel Restrictions
During the curfew, no one may travel on Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Dakota county streets or public places, except for first responders, members of the media, people going back and forth to work, individuals seeking emergency care or fleeing danger, people traveling to or from religious services, and people experiencing homelessness.
In Eden Prairie the curfew resulted in the following announcements:
Hennepin County Library including Eden Prairie branch closed today at 5 pm and opening again Tuesday at 9 am.
The Eden Prairie Mall announced via Twitter that it will close 5 pm and opening 11 am toon Tuesday.
Hennepin Tech closing at 5 pm and all in- person and activities are cancelled until further update.
Eden Prairie municipal liquor stores will close at 6 pm Monday and reopen at 9 am. on Tuesday.
City of Eden Prairie banner posted on their website announcing the curfew from 7 pm Monday to 6 am Tuesday.
The Eden Prairie Community Center closed at 6 pm and opening at 7 am Tuesday.
Mayor Ron Case comments
Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case, noted his office would have been unlikely to call for a curfew specifically for Eden Prairie, but that he did support Governor Walz’s actions for a county level curfew to include Eden Prairie.
Mayor Case reacted to the tragic killing of Daunte Wright by Brooklyn Center police “it is a sad, sad turn of events” in the middle of the Derek Chauvin trail. It reinforces that there is an issue of “systemic racism” in the United States.
Mayor Case noted that when he talks with African Americans about their experience of being pulled over by police the sentiment is ” I don’t want to get shot” whereas the average white person sentiment is “I don’t want to get a ticket.”
Mayor Case noted the Eden Prairie Human Rights, Race and Diversity Commission (HRDC) is conducting an analysis of the current state of systems in municipal structures in Eden Prairie, including policing. “White America is wrapped in the lens of our own whiteness,” and “I’m pretty sure” there are some systemic racism issues which the HRDC work will find, noted Case.
(Editor’s note: Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) writers, Steve Schewe, Jeff Strate, Ryan Williamson, and Vijay Dixit contributed to this article.)