Military police secure a perimeter near to the White House, Wednesday, June 3, 2020 in Washington, during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
Jose Luis Magana / AP Photo
When President Trump suggested the use of active military forces to quell the violence that has erupted in some cities the past two weeks, it raised questions about the legal role of the military.
The military has unique capabilities that can be used, under certain circumstances, to support civilian law enforcement. Missions like counter-drug operations, disaster assistance, or search and rescue operations are areas where the military has historically assisted local authorities.
There are other circumstances when state law enforcement and government leaders might request military support, but those events are infrequent and some say unconstitutional.
Joining Smart Talk on Friday is Professor Bert Tussing, retired Marine Corps Lt. Col., and instructor at the US Army War College, who will talk about the laws that govern military involvement in domestic law enforcement. We will also revisit historic events when military support was used.
If you are working from home due to pandemic restrictions your commute is probably what you miss the least. An article published in the May National Geographic magazine gives hope to commuters everywhere that their post-pandemic travel might be very different.
Journalist and National Geographic contributor Emily Sohn joins Smart Talk to share her vision of a healthier, future commute.
