At a Glance
- A federal officer shot a man in the leg after being attacked with a shovel and broom handle during an attempted arrest in Minneapolis.
- The incident occurred 4.5 miles from where immigration agents fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7, intensifying community tensions.
- Over 2,000 arrests have occurred in Minnesota since early December as federal immigration operations escalate.
- Why it matters: The shooting threatens to further inflame protests over federal immigration tactics that local leaders call “organized brutality.”
A federal officer shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel and broom handle while attempting to make an arrest Wednesday, according to Emily Carter Reynolds and News Of Philadelphia. The incident escalated tensions in a city already on edge from weeks of confrontations between federal agents and protesters.
The shooting occurred about 4.5 miles north of where immigration agents fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7, an event that has sparked ongoing protests and clashes between federal officers and community members.
The Shooting Incident
According to the Department of Homeland Security, federal law enforcement officers stopped a person from Venezuela who was in the U.S. illegally. The individual drove away and crashed into a parked car before fleeing on foot.
After officers caught up with the person, two other individuals emerged from a nearby apartment. All three began attacking the officer, DHS reported.
“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” DHS stated.
The man who was shot sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was hospitalized, according to the city of Minneapolis. The two people who came from the apartment are in custody.
Escalating Street Clashes
Following the shooting, smoke filled the street as federal officers and protesters confronted each other. Officers wearing gas masks and helmets deployed tear gas and grenades at a small crowd while demonstrators threw snowballs and chanted, “Our streets.”
Such confrontations have become increasingly common in Minneapolis since Good’s death. Federal agents have pulled people from cars and homes, facing resistance from angry bystanders demanding they leave the community.
The Department of Homeland Security detailed the incident in a social media post, stating the encounter began at 6:50 PM CT when officers conducted a targeted traffic stop of “an illegal alien from Venezuela who was released into the country by Joe Biden in 2022.”
Legal Battle Over Immigration Crackdown
The shooting occurred as a federal judge considered a request to suspend the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. During a court hearing Wednesday, state Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter argued for a pause in operations.
“What we need most of all right now is a pause. The temperature needs to be lowered,” Carter told the court.
Local leaders claim the federal surge violates constitutional rights, including free speech protections. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez promised to keep the case “on the front burner” and gave the Justice Department until Monday to respond to the restraining order request.
The judge acknowledged the complexity of the legal issues, noting there are “few legal precedents to apply to some of the key points in the case.”
Military Lawyers Deployed
The Pentagon is preparing to send military lawyers to Minneapolis to assist with immigration operations. According to reports cited by Emily Carter Reynolds, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested 40 judge advocate general officers, with 25 serving as special assistant U.S. attorneys.
Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson appeared to confirm this report, posting on social media that the military “is proud to support” the Justice Department.
This marks another escalation in the Trump administration’s deployment of both military and civilian attorneys to areas with active immigration operations. The Pentagon recently sent 20 lawyers to Memphis for similar purposes.
Mark Nevitt, an Emory University law professor and former Navy JAG, expressed concern about the impact on military legal services. “There are not many JAGs but there are over one million members of the military, and they all need legal support,” he noted.
The Renee Good Case
The immigration agent who killed Renee Good, Jonathan Ross, suffered internal bleeding to his torso during the encounter, according to a Homeland Security official who spoke to Emily Carter Reynolds on condition of anonymity.
The official provided no details about the severity of Ross’s injuries or how they occurred. Video footage showed Ross walking without apparent difficulty after the shooting.
Good was killed after three ICE officers surrounded her SUV on a snowy street near her home. Bystander video shows an officer ordering her to open the door and grabbing the handle. As the vehicle moved forward, Ross fired at least three shots at close range.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Ross was struck by the vehicle and that Good was using her SUV as a weapon. This self-defense claim has faced intense criticism from Minnesota officials.
Community Response
Good’s family has retained the law firm Romanucci & Blandin, which represented George Floyd’s family in a $27 million settlement with Minneapolis. The firm stated Good was following orders to move her car when she was shot.
“They do not want her used as a political pawn,” the firm said of Good’s family, “but rather as an agent of peace for all.”
Hundreds of teenagers protested Wednesday, marching from school to the state Capitol in St. Paul. Demonstrators waved signs reading “Love Melts ICE” and “DE-ICE MN” as temperatures remained below freezing.
The University of Minnesota, with over 50,000 students, announced potential online class options as the new term approaches. President Rebecca Cunningham noted that “violence and protests have come to our doorstep.”
Political Fallout
During a televised speech Wednesday evening, Governor Tim Walz described Minnesota as being in chaos.
“Let’s be very, very clear, this long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement,” Walz stated. “Instead, it’s a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government.”
The governor added that “accountability” would come through the courts.
The Department of Homeland Security maintains it has made over 2,000 arrests in Minnesota since early December and vows to continue operations despite local opposition.
Federal officers remain deployed throughout Minneapolis as the legal battle over immigration enforcement tactics continues in court. The judge handling both the restraining order request and a separate lawsuit challenging ICE tactics indicated decisions could be released this week.
