MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Diya TV) — A federal law enforcement officer shot a man in the leg Wednesday night in north Minneapolis after officials say the officer faced an attack during an attempted arrest. The shooting sparked protests, clashes with police, and renewed anger over a sweeping federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
The Department of Homeland Security said the officer fired a defensive shot after three people attacked him with a shovel and a broom handle. The incident unfolded as federal agents tried to arrest a man from Venezuela who officials say was in the United States illegally.
Smoke filled the street near the shooting site Wednesday night. Federal officers wearing helmets and gas masks fired tear gas at a small crowd. Protesters threw rocks and launched fireworks. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the gathering became an unlawful assembly and ordered people to leave.
Tensions eased later in the night. By early Thursday, fewer protesters and officers remained at the scene. Such scenes have become common in Minneapolis in recent weeks. Protests have erupted repeatedly since a federal agent fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7 during an immigration operation. That shooting intensified public outrage and drew national attention.
Homeland Security said officers stopped the man Wednesday and attempted an arrest. The man drove away and crashed into a parked car, according to the agency. He then fled on foot. After officers caught up to him, two people came out of a nearby apartment, officials said. All three then attacked the officer. DHS said the officer feared for his life and fired a single shot to defend himself.
Authorities took the two people from the apartment into custody. O’Hara said the wounded man ran into a home and refused to come out. Federal agents entered the house and took him to a hospital. O’Hara said investigators have not confirmed every detail of the alleged assault. The FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are processing evidence from the scene.
A live video posted to Facebook showed a family inside a home pleading for help. Several people spoke Spanish while contacting 911 dispatchers. They said ICE officers shot a man in the leg. The video did not show visible injuries.
NBC News geolocated the video to the same north Minneapolis neighborhood where the shooting occurred. The timing also matched the incident. Officials have not confirmed whether the video shows the same shooting. In the video, a woman said officers chased her husband for about 30 minutes. She claimed they tried to crash into him and shot him after he entered the house and shut the door.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the situation is not sustainable. He said a massive federal force has flooded the city and frightened residents. Frey said the federal presence is about five times larger than the city’s 600-officer police force. He said local police still must handle daily public safety duties while tensions rise around them. Gov. Tim Walz described Minnesota as being in chaos during a televised speech on Wednesday. He said the crackdown has gone far beyond immigration enforcement. He called it a campaign of brutality by the federal government.
Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have sued the federal government. They accuse it of violating free speech and constitutional rights. A judge has given the Justice Department until Monday to respond to a request for a temporary restraining order.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez is also considering a separate lawsuit that challenges how federal officers treat protesters and observers. A ruling could come this week. CNN reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the military to provide 40 lawyers. Twenty-five of them would serve as special assistant U.S. attorneys in Minneapolis. A Pentagon spokesperson appeared to confirm the report online.
The latest shooting happened about 4.5 miles north of where Renee Good died earlier this month. ICE officer Jonathan Ross shot Good after officers surrounded her SUV on a snowy street. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said Good used her vehicle as a weapon. Minnesota officials have strongly disputed that claim.
Ross suffered internal bleeding during the encounter, a Homeland Security official told The Associated Press. Good’s family has hired a law firm that also represented George Floyd’s family. As protests continue, local leaders are calling for a pause. They say the city needs calm before more people get hurt.
