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The NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors was postponed on Saturday afternoon following another fatal shooting by a federal officer in Minneapolis.
The game was rescheduled for Sunday afternoon. The Timberwolves and Warriors are also scheduled to play on Monday night.
The league announced the decision was made to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community” after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed in a confrontation with officers on a street in a commercial district less than two miles from Target Center, the downtown arena where the Timberwolves play. With the crowd of protesters growing around the shooting site on Saturday, the Minnesota National Guard was assisting local police to try to keep the peace.
The Minnesota Twins were holding their annual winter fan festival at Target Field, across the street from Target Center, and ended the event an hour early for the “expedited departure” of all guests.
Thousands of people marched through downtown on Friday with the air temperature well below zero in protest of the presence and tactics of the federal force that swelled to about 3,000 officers in the Twin Cities area this month as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Two weeks ago, 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot in her car as she drove away from a group of officers following a confrontation. The Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Good before their game the following night.
The scheduled Saturday contest between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves was postponed and pushed back to Sunday afternoon.
The NBA cited safety concerns as the reason for the schedule adjustment.
“The decision was made to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community,” the NBA said in its announcement.
Earlier Saturday, federal immigration agents in Minnesota shot and killed a man
after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed in a confrontation with officers on a street in a commercial district less than two miles from Target Center, the downtown arena where the Timberwolves play. With the crowd of protesters growing around the shooting site on Saturday, the Minnesota National Guard was assisting local police to try to keep the peace.
, according to multiple news outlets. Multiple shootings involving federal agents in recent weeks have raised tensions in Minneapolis and nearby St Paul.
The Warriors and Timberwolves will now be playing a back-to-back with the teams also scheduled to play Monday in Minneapolis.
The Minnesota Twins elected to “conclude” their annual fan fest one hour earlier at 4pm local time Saturday, saying in a news release that the change was “due to the situation in south Minneapolis and to provide for the expedited departure of all our guests”.
The NHL’s Minnesota Wild are scheduled to host the Florida Panthers on Saturday night in St Paul.
