An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has shot a man in the leg in the US city of Minneapolis, where tensions have been running high since an ICE agent shot dead a woman last week.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that federal officers were conducting a targeted traffic stop when a Venezuelan national was shot after resisting arrest and assaulting an officer.
US officials reported to CBS News that the man was shot following an assault on an ICE officer, who was reportedly attacked with a shovel.
In the aftermath, clashes reignited between protesters and law enforcement near the scene, prompting city officials to call for calm. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the situation as unsustainable. The protests had initially erupted in response to the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent on January 7, which ignited demonstrations not just in Minneapolis but also across multiple cities.
The individual who was shot was hospitalized but sustained non-life-threatening injuries. An ICE officer was also taken to the hospital for injuries sustained during the incident, according to DHS reports.
Protesters clashed with police and law enforcement, who were reportedly hit with fireworks, ice, and snowballs during the demonstrations. City officials took to social media to communicate their understanding of the public's anger and called for calm while insisting on ICE's immediate withdrawal from Minneapolis and Minnesota.
In discussing the incident with reporters, Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara mentioned that federal officers had been deployed in large numbers, leading to tensions running high. Around 3,000 federal officers had been stationed in Minnesota, with an increasing number of altercations arising as activities escalated in the wake of Good’s death.
Confirming that the incident was under investigation, O'Hara stated that the ICE officer feared for his safety when attacked by three individuals, prompting him to fire defensive shots. The DHS maintains that the two alleged attackers are now in custody.
Further complicating matters, details surrounding Good's fatal shooting remain contested, with differing accounts from federal and local officials regarding whether she posed a threat at the time of her death. Videos surfaced showing the moments leading up to the shooting, raising further questions among observers about the validity of police claims and the perceived need for force.
Minneapolis officials, including Mayor Frey, have directly criticized the federal government's handling of ICE operations in neighborhoods, arguing that their presence exacerbates an already volatile situation. In addition to the calls for ICE's withdrawal, local leaders have indicated that the ongoing federal deployment is impeding peace and stability within their communities.
