Minneapolis police 'mindful' when responding to calls near 38th and Chicago Avenue

(FOX 9) - Minneapolis Police are using extra caution when responding to calls in the area of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, pointing to recent incidents in which officers were met with hostility and interference.

After the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, community members in the area of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue have voiced that police are not welcome in the area. The area has since become a memorial site for George Floyd.

“We’re being mindful of the fact that police presence isn’t necessarily wanted in the area," said Officer Garrett Parten, a Minneapolis Police Spokesperson. "We have experienced calls where there’s been significant resistance [to] officers responding and even interfering with some of the life-saving efforts of emergency personnel."

Parten said that on Sunday night, when a pregnant woman was fatally shot near that area, police had initially asked community members on the scene of the shooting if they could move the victim out of the immediate area. He said that after they learned this was not an option, they responded to the scene. Parten said that officers were not met with resistence that night. 

“We had community people involved in providing medical aid and even assisting officers on the scene. So it was quite the opposite last night where we saw some support rather than resistance in that particular area,” Parten said. 

Police say no arrests have been made in that case. The Minneapolis Police Homicide division is investigating.