Hennepin County deputies deployed to North Dakota pipeline protests

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(KMSP) - After the State of North Dakota requested assistance, deputies from Hennepin, Anoka and Washington County sheriff's offices were deployed to Morton County, North Dakota on Sunday where the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline have been taking place.

The deputies are “part of a larger contingent of hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the country who have responded to the request made through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a nationally adopted system for sharing personnel and resources via state-to-state aid agreements," according to a statement from the Hennepin County sheriff's office.

The officers are assisting in “maintaining the public’s safety, preserve the peace, and protect the constitutional rights of protesters."

North Dakota will reimburse the Minnesota sheriff's offices for any expenses related to deploying the deputies.

Over the weekend, more than 80 people were arrested during the protest.