Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Blasts Lt. Gov. Tina Smith Over Dakota Access Pipeline Involvement

Controversy surrounding the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office's involvement in the fight over the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota reached a new level Friday as two of Minnesota's public offices clashed over social media.

Earlier this week, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) confirmed rumors circulating online about its involvement assisting North Dakota as state officials are engaged in a property fight against the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Hennepin County officials said in a news release Monday that several Twin Cities agencies are assisting "in maintaining the public’s safety, preserve the peace, and protect the constitutional rights of protesters" in North Dakota's Morton County, located just outside the Standing Rock Reservation.

FOX 4 reported that the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is trying to stop construction on the $3.8 billion oil pipeline. Hundreds of people have been arrested since protests of the pipeline first began in August, when North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple issued an emergency declaration for parts of North Dakota in response to the protests.

On Thursday, demonstrators fired weapons at law enforcement, threw Molotov cocktails and set debris on fire as they clashed with authorities over a controversial oil pipeline that they say would run precariously close to sacred burial grounds and possibly contaminate the local water supply.

In at least one video, Hennepin County staff can be seen using batons on protesters.

At least 141 people were arrested during the confrontation, according to the Morton County Sheriff's Office, after protesters attempted to block a major highway in the area. At least two of those arrested were people who fired weapons, including one toward police.

On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Tina Smith took to Facebook to publicly criticize Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek:

I do not support Sheriff Stanek's decision to send his deputies to North Dakota, nor did we approve his decision to begin with. I do not have any control over the Sheriff's actions, which I think were wrong, and I believe he should being his deputies home, if he hasn't already. I strongly support the rights of all people to peacefully protest, including, tonight, the Standing Rock protest.

Smith is one of many public officials in Minnesota to take aim at the HCSO this week. This time, however, HCSO responded. The following statement was posted on the HCSO Facebook page:

Why does Lt. Governor Tina Smith believe she can disown the actions of Governor Dayton, Commissioner of DPS Dohman, HSEM Director Joe Kelly, and the 75 employees and $10+ million budget of the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management?

See the facts: MN Sheriffs’ deputies were deployed at the request of the State of North Dakota only after the State of Minnesota authorized the deployment, signed the contract, secured the reimbursement agreement and approved the plan.

Please note the signature of HSEM Director Joe Kelly on the EMAC agreement two days before deputies departed.

The post included the following images of documents that purport to show authorization of the HCSO to get involved in the North Dakota standoff.

Protesters believe the pipeline threaten's the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s water supply and will destroy ancient burial sites, places of prayer and other significant cultural artifacts of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

“I surveyed this land and we confirmed multiple graves and specific prayer sites,” said Tim Mentz,
the Standing Rock Sioux’s former tribal historic preservation officer, in a statement. “Portions, and possibly
complete sites, have been taken out entirely.”

The northern part of Standing Rock is located in North Dakota while the southern part extends to South Dakota.

Emergency Management Assistance Compact

In a statement issued Monday, the HCSO listed several law enforcement agencies from the Twin Cities that are assisting in North Dakota, including Anoka, and Washington County:

At the request of the State of North Dakota, and as approved by the State of Minnesota, on Sunday, Minnesota Sheriff’s Deputies from the Hennepin, Anoka, and Washington Counties’ Sheriff’s Offices were deployed to assist in Morton County, North Dakota. These deputies are part of a larger contingent of hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the Country who have responded to the request made through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, (“EMAC”), a nationally adopted system for sharing personnel and resources via state-to-state aid agreements.

These deputies are part of a larger contingent of hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the Country who have responded to the request made through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, (“EMAC”), a nationally adopted system for sharing personnel and resources via state-to-state aid agreements.

These Sheriff’s deputies train and prepare to respond to emergency calls throughout the region, state and nation following any declaration of a state of emergency.

The HCSO's statement on EMAC came after photos allegedly showing Twin Cities law enforcement vehicles near the Standing Rock Native American Reservation were widely-shared on social media over the weekend.

On Sunday, the Minneapolis police denied that its own department had sent any officers to the Standing Rock Native American Reservation in North Dakota. Minneapolis police told Patch that the original social media post making allegations that specifically mentioned the MPD has been taken down.

Drone attack

North Dakota authorities recently reported two documented cases where an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flew at a helicopter in a threatening manner. The helicopter was assisting in surveillance in the vicinity of Highway 1806 during an active protest situation Sunday morning. A sheriff on board the helicopter reported to law enforcement on the ground that the helicopter pilot and passengers were “in fear of their lives”, and that the “drone came after us,” according to authorities.

Around 11:00 a.m., the drone was flying directly above officers, in violation of FAA rules, officials say. Law enforcement used less-than-lethal ammunition to fire on and damage the UAS, which was then landed by the drone operator, according to a news release.

“The FAA has strict guidelines and regulations governing the use of drones around unprotected people and manned aircraft. The drones being operated near the local protests and the camps south of Mandan generally are not being operated within the regulations. Reports of drones not being operated within the FAA guidelines or in a reckless and unsafe manner are being investigated and forwarded to the Morton County States Attorney’s office,” said Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier in a statement.

Two drone operators have previously been charged for crimes involving illegal use of unmanned aircraft systems during the on-going protest situation. Myron Dewey was charged with stalking and Aaron Turgeon was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, one being a C Felony for flying an UAS at a North Dakota Highway Patrol plane, according to authorities.

Image via Morton County Sheriff's Office