Which Minnesota Agencies Are in North Dakota, And Why?

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) has confirmed rumors circulating online about Twin Cities law enforcement agencies 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 the 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,

North Dakota will provide reimbursement for expenses related to this service, officials say.

FOX 4 reported that the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is trying to stop construction on a $3.8 billion oil pipeline known as the Dakota Access Pipeline. More than 220 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.

According to the Morton County Sheriff's Department, law enforcement arrested 83 individuals for riot activities Saturday morning at a Dakota Access Pipeline construction site.

Protesters believe the pipeline threaten's Standing Rock’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.

Authorities are currently working to remove protesters from an encampment they say has been established illegally on private property.

Emergency Management Assistance Compact

The statement from 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