Texas Gov. Abbott condemns George Floyd’s death as ‘horrific’ – but also rejects protest violence

DALLAS, Texas -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday afternoon addressed the state's response to the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck until Floyd lost consciousness and died.

Abbott strongly condemned Floyd's death as police brutality and called it "horrific." He also said we must ensure such an act never happens in Texas.

The governor also emphasized that everyone has the right to protest but added that vandalism, violence and looting have no place in those protests and detract from the message about Floyd's death.

While curfews were in effect in the cities of Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio, Abbott and other officials in Texas expressed sympathy with the protesters' anger - calling Floyd's death "murder" - but said there would be consequences for those who turn violent during demonstrations.

Abbott raised his voice while condemning Floyd’s death as a “horrific act of police brutality” and called Texas a leader in criminal justice reform and mentioned the Sandra Bland Act passed in 2017. The law mandates police deescalation training and is named after a black woman who died in a Texas jail following a confrontational traffic stop with a white state trooper. Video of the traffic stop and her death stirred national outrage.

Abbott didn’t suggest any changes to Texas policing or laws in the wake of Floyd’s death, and critics said his words alone are insufficient.

More than 3,000 state troopers have been assigned across Texas to bolster local law enforcement amid the protests.

Abbott said he had no intention of seeking military support President Trump has offered states to quell protests; the governor said "Texas can take care of Texas."

When asked whether state guardsmen would be sent to Washington to help provide security in the nation's capital, as some other states have done, Abbott said no.

“Texas National Guard are here for Texans, and that’s exactly what they’ll be use for,” the governor said.

Abbott was joined at the Dallas news conference by several local officials, including Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. The police chiefs of the two north Texas cities were also there.