Chaos ensued in the streets of Minneapolis after protesters clashed with federal agents following a shooting involving an individual from Venezuela. Videos of the clashes have surfaced on social media.
Videos show federal agents appearing to deploy tear gas and flashbangs to disperse crowds following the shooting. Other clips have surfaced with the claim that protesters were seen “breaking into suspected federal vehicles” to search for “documents.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement posted on X that the situation in Minneapolis is “not sustainable.” “Tonight a man was shot in the leg by an ICE agent on the Northside,” he wrote. “No matter what led up to this incident, the situation we are seeing in our city is not sustainable.”
Frey claimed that immigration agents have flooded the Minneapolis area and are “creating chaos,” but also urged protesters against “taking the bait.” Frey, who has been critical of federal immigration authorities since the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, said tonight, according to NBC News, “I’ve seen conduct from ICE that is disgusting and is intolerable. If it were your city, it would be unacceptable there, too.”
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However, when protesters and immigration enforcement clashed on the streets, Frey discouraged violence. “And for anyone that is taking the bait tonight: Stop. That is not helpful. Go home. We cannot counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos,” he said.
Here are some videos that have surfaced on X:
What the DHS said
The Department of Homeland Security said that a federal officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg in self-defense following an “ambush.” “In an attempt to evade arrest, the subject fled the scene in his vehicle and crashed into a parked car. The subject then fled on foot,” the DHS said of the suspect, who it claimed was “an illegal alien from Venezuela who was released into the country by Joe Biden in 2022.”
Read More | North Minneapolis shooting today: Why ICE agent opened fire; ‘shovel’ attack details emerge
The social media statement added that the officer caught up to the suspect on foot and attempted to apprehend him, but he tried to resist and also “violently assaulted” the officer.
“While the subject and law enforcement were in a struggle on the ground, two subjects came out of a nearby apartment and also attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle,” said the statement. “As the officer was being ambushed and attacked by the two individuals, the original subject got loose and began striking the officer with a shovel or broom stick.”
“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired defensive shots to defend his life. The initial subject was hit in the leg,” the DHS added.
The officer and the suspect who was shot are both in the hospital.
