Gov. Lee orders more National Guard members deployed across Tennessee to assist police – Tennessean
Faced with the possibility of additional violence, Gov. Bill Lee said Sunday he is increasing a deployment of the Tennessee National Guard to help with law enforcement, this time in all three divisions of the state.
The governor made the announcement one day after 75 guardsmen were deployed in Nashville in response to an eruption of violence. The rancor occurred after a peaceful rally attended by thousands of Tennesseans who were protesting police brutality and racism.
The governor did not say how many and exactly where the guardsmen will be deployed Sunday.
Additionally, Lee announced a joint effort between the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement to investigate Saturday’s violence in Nashville, which he said was provoked by many non-Tennesseans.
“The right to peaceful protest is foundational to our country, but the violence and vandalism that occurred in Nashville last night was unlawful and tears at the fabric of our community,” Lee said in a statement.
“We have reason to believe that many of those involved in unlawful acts are not Tennesseans and we will be working with law enforcement to investigate this further and bring those responsible to justice.”
The violence occurred hours after thousands of people gathered near the Capitol for a peaceful rally, following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Organizers of Saturday’s rally urged participants to remain peaceful but violence later erupted throughout the city’s downtown area, including windows being smashed and a fire being set at the city’s historic Metro Courthouse, which includes city hall offices.
In total, 28 Metro Nashville police arrested 28 people Saturday night, many after the 10 p.m. curfew. Of those, 21 are from Nashville, four from elsewhere in Tennessee and three from out of state: Texas, Illinois and New York.
Saturday’s deployment of the National Guard, which was aimed at providing assistance to the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Metro Police Department, was likely the first such move for law enforcement purposes in decades.
The guardsmen first reported to the Capitol grounds, where a statue was toppled over.
The troops later moved to Lower Broadway, to provide assistance after businesses were damaged.
David Roberson, a spokesman for the Department of General Services, said the extent of damage to state-owned property included graffiti and broken windows and doors.
Roberson said windows were broken at the War Memorial building, the Rachel Jackson and Andrew Jackson buildings and Citizens Plaza, where graffiti was also found. A door was broken at the state Supreme Court.
Graffiti was found on the Capitol grounds, including on a wall. The toppled statue was to be removed Sunday.
Roberson said there are no estimates of the total cost of the various damage to state-owned properties.
Lee’s deployment of the National Guard came at the request of Nashville Mayor John Cooper, said Laine Arnold, the governor’s spokeswoman.
The governor made the announcement shortly after 9 p.m.
Lee signed an executive order, effectively affirming a 10 p.m. curfew Cooper implemented.
“I mobilized the National Guard to assist in protecting the lives and property of Tennesseans, which is a critical responsibility of government,” the governor’s executive order stated.
The governor signed another executive order on Sunday to once again coincide with Nashville’s latest curfew, which is set for 8 p.m.
Tennessee’s last major deployment of its National Guard for law enforcement purposes occurred in 1968, after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
As many as 4,000 guardsmen were deployed in Nashville the day King was murdered, according to The Tennessean’s archives. Troops were stationed throughout the city, including standing guard, complete with rifles and bayonets, outside the state Capitol.
The National Guard was deployed throughout Nashville for several days after King’s assassination. Guardsmen were also deployed in Memphis.
Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.
Published 7:22 PM EDT May 31, 2020
