US officer shoots man in leg during Minneapolis arrest
A Venezuelan national who was being pursued by US immigration agents during a “targeted” traffic stop in Minneapolis was shot in the leg by a federal officer who was ambushed by two men wielding a broomstick and snow shovel, authorities said.
Wednesday’s shooting came a week after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman named Renee Good, sparking a wave of protests amid military deportation operations ordered by President Donald Trump.
Good, who is part of a volunteer neighborhood patrol network that tracks and monitors ICE activity in Minneapolis, was behind the wheel of his car in a residential neighborhood at the time.
In the statement made by the US Department of Homeland Security, it was stated that the last incident ended with the police officer and the Venezuelan citizen being hospitalized on Wednesday, and the two people involved in the ambush were detained.
“Fearing for his life and safety as he was ambushed by three men, the officer opened fire in defense,” DHS said.
The statement said the gunfire hit the main suspect in the leg before all three men ran to a nearby apartment and barricaded themselves inside.
DHS, which oversees ICE, said the latest shooting occurred when a Venezuelan citizen who was targeted by federal law enforcement at a traffic stop tried to flee, crashed his vehicle into a parked car and then fled on foot.
In its description of the incident, DHS said one of the pursuing officers tried to tackle and apprehend the person, who then “began to resist and violently attack the officer.”
It was stated that while they were struggling, two other people came out of the nearby apartment and attacked the police officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle.
This allowed the primary suspect to break free and begin attacking the officer with one of the vehicles, DHS said.
All three were ultimately rescued, but the agency did not provide further details on how the problem was resolved.
The shooting followed days of chaotic clashes in Minneapolis between heavily armed federal agents and civilians stopped in the streets, as well as local activists arriving to observe and record such clashes and jeering protesters from the sidelines.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump said he would cut federal funding next month for all states that include sanctuary cities where authorities prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement operations.
