Several individuals have been detained following protests that erupted in response to the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by a federal agent in Minneapolis.
In the tense aftermath of the incident, federal agents deployed tear gas and pepper balls, with the dramatic scenes captured on video just hours after the shooting occurred.
The victim, a U.S. citizen, died after an encounter with multiple officers on Saturday. Authorities in Minneapolis have confirmed that he was a white male and a local resident.
According to The Minnesota Star Tribune, the man has been identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti.
Witnesses reported that the man was subdued on the ground before a federal agent discharged several shots into his chest.
The Department of Homeland Security, speaking to the Daily Mail, noted that the suspect was armed with two magazines, and a firearm was subsequently retrieved by federal officers.
In a press conference Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino said the officer who shot the man had been serving with the Border Patrol for the past eight years.
Protests have picked up in Minneapolis in recent weeks as ICE continues to occupy the city following the death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an agent on January 7.
CNN’s Sara Sidner reported large military-style vehicles surrounding protesters who blocked the streets with dumpsters and restaurant furniture while shouting at agents, with the area still secured with police tape.
Detainees were seen being loaded into the back of a white vehicle
Federal agents were seen surrounding the area as detainees were loaded into vehicles
Federal agents were seen deploying tear gas amidst mounting protests
A protester appeared to be detained after an ICE agent reportedly shot a man several times in Minneapolis
Tear gas and pepper bombs were seen in Minneapolis as protests ensued on Saturday
Protesters reportedly gathered near the site of the shooting at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue
Federal agents tied police tape on a pole to block off the scene of a shooting on January 24 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Federal agents threw a crowd-control weapon amid tear gas during scuffles at the scene of a shooting involving federal immigration agents
The city’s police department is also on scene and working to keep more than 100 observers and protesters separated from the federal agents, reported the Star Tribune.
Several witnesses were transported to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building as ICE agents tried to order local police to leave the scene, but Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara refused.
O’Hara called the display an ‘unlawful assembly,’ reported the New York Times.
‘We urge everyone to remain peaceful,’ he said at a press conference Saturday.
‘We recognize that there is a lot of anger and a lot of questions around what has happened, but we need people to remain peaceful.’
A command post has been set up by local law enforcement at the ‘volatile scene.’
O’Hara urged residents to leave the area of the shooting near Glam Doll Donuts at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.
It is unclear how many protesters have been detained at the scene.
Detainees sat in the back of a white truck amid frigid temperatures in South Minneapolis
A federal agent stands guard at the scene of a shooting involving federal immigration agents, in Whittier neighborhood, in South Minneapolis
Protesters wore gas masks as demonstrators gather near the site
Gas canisters were thrown through the air by immigration enforcement amidst rising protests
A federal agent and a protestor pictured face to face amidst widespread protests
‘We understand your frustration,’ he said.
O’Hara said the man had no past brushes with the law other than traffic violations and was believed to be a lawful gun owner.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addressed Minneapolis residents.
‘Just yesterday we saw 15,000 people peacefully protesting in the streets… those peaceful protests embody the very principles that both Minneapolis and America were founded upon,’ he said.
‘Conversely, the mass militarized force and unidentified agents that is occupying our streets. That is what weakens our country.’
The chaos came days after a federal court suspended an order that restricted ICE agents’ ability to use tear gas or detain peaceful protestors.
