The following statement is attributable to Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson (East Grand Forks):

“Escalations and confrontations like what happened this morning help no one. Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and must be protected, but endangering law enforcement officers is never acceptable. I offer my condolences to the family grieving the loss of a loved one and urge everyone to step back, de-escalate, and let investigators fully examine the facts of what occurred.”