A second shooting involving a federal agent has taken place in Minneapolis, after authorities say a Venezuelan immigrant tried to flee a targeted traffic stop.
The man was shot in the leg during a struggle with the agent and two other people, according to the Department of Homeland Security, who said the officer fired the weapon after “fearing for his life and safety.”
The agent was allegedly beaten with “a snow shovel and broom handle” by two people who came to the assistance of the man.
It comes one week after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, also in the Minneapolis, which has since sparked outrage from politicians and protests across the country.
In a press release the DHS said the agents were conducting the traffic stop “of an illegal alien from Venezuela who was released into the country by Joe Biden in 2022.”
“In an attempt to evade arrest, the subject fled the scene in his vehicle and crashed into a parked car. The subject then fled on foot,” the release stated.
The department claimed that after the agent caught up with the man, he “began to resist and violently assault the officer.” Two other people then came out of a nearby apartment and “also attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle.”
“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life. The initial subject was hit in the leg,” according to the DHS.
All three subjects reportedly ran back into the apartment and barricaded themselves inside, but were later detained by authorities.
The arresting officer and the Venezuelan man are both being treated in hospital, while the other two individuals are in custody.
The DHS statement added: “This attack on another brave member of law enforcement took place while Minnesota’s top leaders, Governor Walz and Mayor Frey, are actively encouraging an organized resistance to ICE and federal law enforcement officers.”
“Their hateful rhetoric and resistance against men and women who are simply trying to do their jobs must end.”
