Person shot in leg by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis after assaulting an officer, DHS says

By Danya Gainor, Karina Tsui, CNN

(CNN) — Minneapolis officials called on protesters to go home Wednesday night amid clashes with law enforcement after a person who the Department of Homeland Security said had assaulted one of its officers was shot in the leg during an immigration enforcement operation earlier in the evening.

“I urge anyone that is at the scene to leave immediately,” Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a news conference.

The comments came as demonstrators clashed with officials hours after a federal law enforcement officer opened fire on a person when he began to resist arrest and “violently assault” an officer, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

The individual was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the city of Minneapolis said.

“For those who have peacefully protested, I applaud you. For those who are taking the bait, you are not helping, and you are not helping the undocumented immigrants of our city. You are not helping the people who call this place home,” Mayor Jacob Frey said at the conference.

Echoing the mayor’s remarks, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz urged residents to remain calm.

“I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets,” he wrote on X Wednesday night. “But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace. Don’t give him what he wants.”

The incident began when federal officers were conducting a “targeted” traffic stop at about 6:50 p.m. local time involving a Venezuelan man who DHS said is in the United States illegally. The man fled the scene in his vehicle, crashed into a parked car and then ran away on foot, DHS said.

“The law enforcement officer caught up to the subject on foot and attempted to apprehend him when the subject began to resist and violently assault the officer,” the post said.

During the struggle, DHS said two people came out of a nearby apartment and attacked the officer using a snow shovel and a broom handle.

After the suspect got loose and joined the attack, the officer fired “defensive shots,” DHS said, striking the initial subject in the leg. The three individuals then ran back into the apartment building, barricading themselves inside, the agency said.

DHS did not specify how long they were barricaded, but O’Hara said one individual was removed by federal agents, who made entry into the residence and took the person to an ambulance.

The officer and initial subject are both in the hospital, and the two other individuals are in custody, DHS said. The statement did not detail how their detention unfolded.

Minneapolis leaders are asking the city — once again rocked by violence involving federal law enforcement — to remain calm.

“There’s still a lot that we don’t know at this time, but what I can tell you for certain is that this is not sustainable,” Frey said.

“The City of Minneapolis again demands that ICE leave the city and state immediately. We stand by our immigrant and refugee communities – know that you have our full support,” the city said in a statement.

Federal agents launched an array of less lethal munitions Wednesday night to clear crowds of protesters who started gathering at the scene, including pepper balls and what sounded like flash bangs. At one point, it appeared a member of the crowd threw one of the gas canisters back at agents, who then kicked it away.

Smoke hung in the air as officers deployed multiple tear gas canisters, one striking CNN correspondent Whitney Wild.

A growing crowd had followed federal agents through the neighborhood, with a line of officers forming a wall behind yellow police tape to block off the road that sits about 10 minutes from downtown Minneapolis.

A CNN team on the ground witnessed a convoy of officers from the Minneapolis Police Department and the Minnesota State Patrol also arriving. While local law enforcement officers have not actively taken part in immigration enforcement operations in the city, they have often been dispatched to the scenes of critical incidents and demonstrations to ensure public safety.

“We are aware of reports of a shooting involving federal law enforcement in North Minneapolis. We are working to confirm additional details,” a city spokesperson said in an email to CNN Wednesday evening.

CNN has reached out to police for more information.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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CNN’s Josh Campbell contributed to this report.