On April 20, 2021, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd and sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison. KSTP-TV reported Tuesday that Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota National Guard had been briefed on preparation for "mostly peaceful protests" if President Donald Trump were to pardon Chauvin.

Jay Kolls reports for KSTP:

Multiple sources told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that Gov. Tim Walz, the Minnesota National Guard, Mayor Jacob Frey and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt have all been briefed on preparations for possible civil unrest if President Donald Trump pardons former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for his federal conviction of killing George Floyd.

When asked by White House reporters in March about pardoning Chauvin, President Trump replied, “No, I have not heard about that.”

Sources also told KSTP the Minnesota Department of Corrections is ready to pick up Chauvin at a federal penitentiary, and bring him back to Oak Park Heights Prison in Minnesota to serve the remainder of his 22-and-a-half-year sentence. He’s currently in a federal prison in Texas.

Over the weekend, Attorney General Ellison told MSNBC that Chauvin will not be set free.

“He still owes Minnesota 22-and-a-half years. And, he’s going to do it either in Minnesota or somewhere, but he’s not getting out,” said Ellison.

Then, on Monday, when asked about the possibility of a pardon, Gov. Walz told reporters, “No indication whether they’re going to do it, or not, but I think it behooves us to be prepared for it. With this presidency, it seems like something they would do.”

President Trump said he hadn't heard about pardoning Chauvin, Walz told reporters there was no indication he was going to be pardoned, but he thought it best they be prepared for it. Does that mean his wife, Gwen, is going to open the windows so she can smell the smoke from Minneapolis burning down again? “I could smell the burning tires … I kept the windows open as long as I could because I felt like that was such a touchstone of what was happening," she told a reporter.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted the headline and said that she supported a pardon for Chauvin.

Some say Walz is getting way ahead of himself, and even if Trump were to pardon him, he'd still serve time in a state prison.

Chauvin got 20 years in prison, and George Floyd got statues of himself erected at the time is was the hot thing to tear down statues.

Again, Trump hasn't said anything about it, so we're not sure what the reported briefing was for.