Federal officers in Minneapolis said a federal officer shot a man in the leg after the officer was attacked with a shovel and a broom handle while trying to make an arrest on Wednesday, according to officials.
The incident unfolded amid a tense standoff between federal officers and protesters. Smoke filled the street near the shooting site as officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas and grenades into a small crowd, while protesters threw snowballs and chanted, “Our streets.”
Such clashes have become common in Minneapolis since an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7, with officials saying federal agents have yanked people from cars and homes and have been confronted by angry bystanders demanding that officers pack up and leave.
In a statement posted to X, the Department of Homeland Security said federal law enforcement officers stopped a person from Venezuela who was in the U.S. illegally. DHS said the person drove away, crashed into a parked car, and then took off on foot. DHS said that after officers reached the person, two other people arrived from a nearby apartment and all three started attacking the officer.
DHS said the officer fired a defensive shot “Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” and it said the two people who came out of the apartment were in custody.
The city of Minneapolis said on X that the man shot was in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. “We understand there is anger,” the city said, asking the public to remain calm.
The shooting took place about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) north of where Good was killed.
Clashes in court as well
Earlier Wednesday, a judge gave the Trump administration time to respond to a request to suspend its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, while the Pentagon looked for military lawyers to join what has become a chaotic law enforcement effort in the state.
“What we need most of all right now is a pause. The temperature needs to be lowered,” state Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said during the first hearing in a lawsuit filed by Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez promised to keep the case “on the front burner” and gave the U.S. Justice Department until Monday to file a response to the request for a restraining order. Menendez said these were “grave and important matters,” and that there were few legal precedents to apply to some of the key points in the case. Justice Department attorney Andrew Warden suggested the approach set by Menendez was appropriate.
Menendez was also handling a separate lawsuit challenging tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officers when they encounter protesters and observers. A decision could be released this week.
During a televised speech Wednesday evening, Gov. Tim Walz described Minnesota as being in chaos and said what is happening in the state “defies belief.” “Let’s be very, very clear, this long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement,” he said. “Instead, it’s a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government.” Walz added that “accountability” will be coming through the courts.
Military lawyers may join the surge
The Department of Homeland Security said it has made more than 2,000 arrests in the state since early December and vowed not to back down. The Pentagon is preparing to send military lawyers to Minneapolis to assist.
CNN, citing an email circulating in the military, reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked the branches to identify 40 lawyers known as judge advocate general officers and that 25 of them will serve as special assistant U.S. attorneys in Minneapolis. Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson appeared to confirm the CNN report by posting it on X with a comment that the military “is proud to support” the Justice Department. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking more details.
It was the latest step by the Trump administration to dispatch military and civilian attorneys to areas where federal immigration operations are taking place. The Pentagon last week sent 20 lawyers to Memphis, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said.
Mark Nevitt, an associate professor at Emory University School of Law and a former Navy JAG, said there is concern that the assignments are taking lawyers away from the military justice system. “There are not many JAGs but there are over one million members of the military, and they all need legal support,” he said.
An official says the agent who killed Good was injured
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who killed Good, was struck by the vehicle and that Good was using her SUV as a weapon, a claim criticized by Minnesota officials.
Separately, a Homeland Security official told AP on condition of anonymity that Ross suffered internal bleeding to his torso during the encounter. The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss Ross’ medical condition, but did not provide details about the severity of the injuries. The agency did not respond to questions from AP about the extent of the bleeding, when it was diagnosed, or Ross’ medical treatment.
The report noted that bystander video showed Ross and other officers walking without obvious difficulty after Good was shot and her Honda Pilot crashed into other vehicles. The article also said Good was killed after three ICE officers surrounded her SUV on a snowy street a few blocks from her home. Chris Madel, an attorney for Ross, declined to comment on any injuries.
“An agent of peace”
Good’s family has hired the law firm Romanucci & Blandin, which represented George Floyd’s family in a $27 million settlement with Minneapolis. The firm said Good was following orders to move her car when she was shot, and that it would conduct its own investigation and publicly share what it learns. It said, “They do not want her used as a political pawn,” but rather as an “agent of peace for all.”
Students march against ICE
Hundreds of teenagers left school in St. Paul and marched in freezing temperatures to the state Capitol for a protest and rally, waving signs including “Love Melts ICE” and “DE-ICE MN.”
The University of Minnesota told students that there could be online options for some classes when the new term starts next week. President Rebecca Cunningham said, “violence and protests have come to our doorstep.”