Tim is grimm

**Yes, the core claim in the image is real, but with an important clarification.**

The meme/image accurately states that **Minnesota Statute § 609.066** (Authorized Use of Deadly Force by Peace Officers) was **amended and signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on July 23, 2020**, as part of police reform legislation (the Minnesota Police Accountability Act) passed during a special session following the George Floyd protests.

However, the **exact wording** quoted in the image/meme — "If a driver accelerates toward an officer standing in front of the vehicle, this creates an immediate, life-threatening danger. The officer doesn't need to wait until impact; they can act based on the apparent intent and proximity." — **does not appear verbatim** in the statute.

The actual law uses more general, legal language that covers this exact kind of scenario:

- Deadly force is justified only if an **objectively reasonable officer** believes (based on the **totality of the circumstances**, without hindsight) that it's **necessary**:

  - To protect the officer or another from **death or great bodily harm**, where the threat:

    - Can be articulated with specificity,

    - Is reasonably likely to occur absent action by the officer, and

    - Must be addressed without unreasonable delay.

This standard explicitly allows officers to respond to **imminent threats** (like a vehicle accelerating toward them) based on reasonable perception of **intent**, **proximity**, and **danger** — without having to wait for actual impact or injury, as long as the criteria are met.

The 2020 amendments (noted in the statute's history as 2Sp2020 c 1 s 9,10) **refined** the rules to emphasize limits on deadly force (e.g., proportionality, no force based solely on self-harm risk, and legislative intent to reduce excessive use), while still clearly permitting it in cases of genuine, imminent life-threatening danger — including from vehicles used as weapons.

This interpretation is widely discussed in recent online posts (often in political contexts mocking or "owning" Walz), and sources like the official Minnesota Revisor of Statutes confirm the amendment date and the practical application to vehicle threats.

**Bottom line**: The law does support officers acting in the described situation without waiting for impact — the meme just paraphrases it in plain, dramatic language rather than quoting the statute word-for-word. The bill signing date and statute number are correct.

Henry McClure  
785.383.9994
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time kills deals