Federal authorities say an ICE officer fired in self-defense after a woman attempted to strike agents with her vehicle as protesters gathered during an enforcement action.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A federal immigration officer shot and killed a woman Wednesday morning in Minneapolis after authorities say she attempted to ram Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with her vehicle during a targeted enforcement operation, an incident that was followed by a large crowd surrounding federal officers at the scene.
According to reporting by NBC News, federal law enforcement officers were conducting targeted ICE operations in Minneapolis when a group of people began attempting to block agents from carrying out their duties. During the confrontation, a woman allegedly used her vehicle in an attempt to strike the officers.
Federal officials said the woman “weaponized her vehicle,” prompting an ICE agent to open fire. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity has not been released.
Video circulating online shows the moment an ICE agent fired as the vehicle moved toward him, including footage posted online and additional video capturing the immediate aftermath. Other clips shared from the scene show crowds gathering and shouting at federal officers, including footage circulated on social media and another recording taken as tensions escalated.
In a statement posted online, the Department of Homeland Security said the incident unfolded as officers were impeded by what it described as rioters. “Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism,” the department wrote.
The statement continued: “An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots. He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers. The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. The ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.” That statement was also shared publicly in a separate post.
Additional footage from the scene shows confrontations between protesters and officers, including a video showing a demonstrator being struck in the face with a non-lethal round after being shoved during the crowd control effort. Other videos posted online captured officers forming a perimeter as the crowd pressed in.
DHS also said the incident reflects what it described as a sharp rise in threats and assaults against immigration officers, citing a “1,300% increase in assaults” and an “8,000% increase in death threats” directed at personnel, language included in its public statement.
Footage from the scene, including video shared by Freedomnews.tv, shows a sizable crowd yelling at officers as emergency vehicles and federal personnel secured the area.
The shooting remains under investigation. Federal authorities have not announced whether additional charges will be filed in connection with the broader confrontation surrounding the enforcement operation.
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