A chilling message of threat was scrawled across a federal vehicle in Minneapolis Wednesday night, a stark escalation of tensions already simmering in the city. Red paint declared, “Only good agent is a dead one,” defacing a vehicle believed to be used by ICE officers amidst a volatile demonstration.
The vandalism followed a dramatic incident earlier in the evening where a Department of Homeland Security agent discharged their firearm, striking a Venezuelan national in the leg. The shooting occurred during a struggle, authorities say, after a traffic stop led to a foot chase and an alleged assault with a shovel and broom handle.
Video footage captured the moment the vehicle was targeted, the vandal’s actions accompanied by a voice declaring, “This is what you get when you come to Minneapolis.” The vehicle bore the brunt of the anger, its driver’s side window shattered and panels torn away, a visible testament to the unrest.
Demonstrators, numbering in the scores, converged on the scene, unleashing a torrent of verbal abuse towards federal agents and demanding their immediate departure. The atmosphere quickly deteriorated, forcing law enforcement to respond with tear gas and flash bangs in an attempt to disperse the increasingly hostile crowd.
The chaos wasn’t one-sided. Protesters retaliated, launching fireworks and other projectiles at the agents, turning the streets into a battleground of escalating aggression. At least two individuals were detained following the barrage of fireworks.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara characterized the demonstration as an unlawful assembly, necessitating the support of state patrol and county sheriff’s deputies. Mayor Jacob Frey pleaded for calm, urging residents not to succumb to provocation.
The initial shooting unfolded after federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop. The suspect, fleeing in his vehicle, crashed and then attempted to evade capture on foot. A physical altercation ensued, quickly escalating when two additional individuals joined the assault on the agent.
Facing what authorities describe as a life-threatening situation – attacked by three individuals wielding makeshift weapons – the agent fired a single shot in self-defense. The suspect, though wounded, was ultimately taken into custody along with the other two alleged assailants.
Both the agent and the suspect received medical attention, with authorities confirming the suspect’s injuries were not life-threatening. The incident adds fuel to already inflamed passions, occurring on the heels of another fatal shooting during a federal immigration enforcement operation just last week.
The death of Renee Nicole Good, during a separate federal operation, has already sparked widespread protests and accusations of excessive force, creating a climate of intense scrutiny and animosity towards ICE and federal law enforcement in Minneapolis.
