Tennessee is sending about 1,000 National Guardsmen to Washington, D.C., to assist in the protests.
The nation’s capital has seen rioting as well as peaceful demonstrations against police brutality.
The announcement, made by Tennessee National Guard General Jeff Holmes on Tuesday, comes a day after guardsmen put down their riot shields at a peaceful rally against police brutality in Nashville.
“We have 12,000 Army National Guardsmen and every one of them are ready and they are trained,” Holmes told reporters. “I think what you saw last night is an example of discipline … well-trained units.”
Holmes said the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Knoxville has been notified about their deployment.
That means that about 1,000 guardsmen are expected to arrive in Washington, D.C., no later than Saturday.
Holmes says the latest deployment will not impact any of the National Guard’s current missions in the state, including testing for COVID-19.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM