by Minneapolis — A federal officer shot a man in the leg during an attempted traffic stop Wednesday evening, according to the Department of Homeland Security, as protests intensified in the city following a separate fatal shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week. The incident occurred just before 7 p.m. in north Minneapolis, about 12 miles from where Renee Nicole Good was killed, and has further heightened tensions over increased federal immigration enforcement. Details of the incident were first reported by NBC News.
DHS Says Officer Was Attacked During Traffic Stop
According to DHS, federal officers were attempting a targeted traffic stop involving a Venezuelan man they say is in the country illegally. The man allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle, crashed into a parked car, and then ran from officers.
As an officer pursued him on foot, DHS said the man assaulted the officer. During the struggle, two additional individuals reportedly emerged from a nearby apartment and attacked the officer using a snow shovel and a broom handle.
“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired defensive shots to defend his life,” DHS said in a statement, confirming that the fleeing man was shot in the leg.
Man Hospitalized, Others Taken Into Custody
Authorities said the man who was shot was taken to a hospital with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries. The officer involved was also hospitalized. DHS confirmed that the two other individuals accused of attacking the officer are now in custody.
Brian O’Hara, chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, said the shooting happened during a struggle outside a home north of downtown. After being shot, the man retreated inside the residence and initially refused to come out. Federal agents later entered the home and transported him to the hospital.
O’Hara noted that while someone appeared to have assaulted the officer, it was still unclear exactly who was responsible.
Protests Grow as City Leaders Call for Calm
Shortly after the shooting, a crowd gathered in the Hawthorne neighborhood near the scene. Minneapolis officials urged residents to remain calm, warning that the situation could escalate.
“We understand there is anger,” city officials said in a statement. “We ask the public to remain calm.”
As the evening progressed, police declared the demonstration unlawful, saying protesters were throwing fireworks, rocks, and ice at officers. O’Hara later urged the crowd to disperse, saying the city was already dealing with an extremely tense environment.
“It is well past the line, and people need to leave,” he said.
Walz, Frey Criticize Federal Enforcement Presence
Tensions in the city have remained high since last week, when an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three. The incident remains under FBI investigation.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz addressed residents in a planned speech shortly after Wednesday’s shooting, urging Minnesotans to document what he described as “atrocities” by immigration agents. He called on President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to end what he described as a federal “occupation.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also condemned the scale of federal enforcement, saying it is “creating chaos” in the city. Frey compared the city’s roughly 600 police officers to an estimated 3,000 federal immigration and border agents operating in the area.
“This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in,” Frey said, while also urging protesters not to escalate tensions.
Conflicting Accounts Emerge From Bystanders
A video posted live on Facebook Wednesday night showed a family inside a home pleading for help, claiming a man had been shot in the leg by ICE officers. Several people in the video can be heard speaking Spanish to what appeared to be 911 dispatchers, with one dispatcher translating.
“Please, help us. We have children,” one man is heard saying.
The video did not show visible injuries, and it remains unclear whether it depicts the same incident described by federal and city officials. NBC News geolocated the video to the same north Minneapolis neighborhood and confirmed it was posted around the time of the shooting. The individual who posted the video has not responded to requests for comment.
Investigation Ongoing
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are processing evidence at the scene. Federal officials say the officer involved acted in self-defense, though local and state officials have expressed frustration over limited access to the investigation.
Demonstrations have continued in Minneapolis since Good’s death, with critics sharply disputing DHS’ account of last week’s fatal encounter. Federal authorities say that case, like Wednesday’s shooting, remains under active investigation.
