Commuters traveling along the I-94 corridor between Minneapolis and St. Paul Monday morning saw a heavy police presence, particularly in the Midway area.
A few asked the Drive why?
In the wake of the not guilty verdict in the highly charged Philando Castile case handed out Friday and subsequent reaction in which protesters blocked I-94 Friday night, the patrol was on hand Monday just in case tempers flared again.
"Out of an abundance of caution, extra troopers were on duty to ensure the rush hour went smoothly," said Lt. Tiffani Nielson of the State Patrol.
A pack of squad cars were parked on the south median of I-94 around 8:30 a.m., Minnesota Department of Transportation cameras showed.
Squads also were spotted at near the Dale Street and Snelling Avenue exits.
It was around 10:30 p.m. Friday when about 500 people walked down ramps at Dale Street and onto the traffic lanes. The protesters blocked lanes in both directions for about two hours until police cleared the freeway.
At least 18 people were taken into custody by the State Patrol.
Aside from the usual congestion and handful of fender-benders, the commute went off without any disruptions.
