Facing a burgeoning political crisis over his administration’s aggressive response to protests of police killings, Gov. Tim Walz acknowledged law enforcement failed to protect press freedoms during a news conference Monday.

Joined by the mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Walz offered few specifics on how he plans to prevent a repeat of the past week, in which law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and mace on people protesting the police killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, as well as journalists covering the demonstrations.

“We have failed this week,” Walz said. “It’s unacceptable.”

Operation Safety Net, a coalition of law enforcement agencies formed to prevent rioting and looting during the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, has come under intense scrutiny for their handling of daily demonstrations outside the Brooklyn Center police station.