Chaos erupted as clashes between law enforcement agents and protestors in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday night, January 14, after a Venezuelan man was shot and wounded by an ICE agent (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). This came one week after a 37-year-old woman was shot dead in the city in her own car.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, told The New York Times (NYT), that the incident occurred when a US federal agent was trying to arrest a citizen of Venezuelan who was living illegally in the US. She claimed that the person fled from agents.
Also Read | Iran Shuts Airspace to Commercial Flights Amid Tensions With US; Air India and IndiGo Issue Advisories.
When the Federal officer caught him, he resisted and violently assaulted the officer, said McLaughlin. She said two more people joined him to attack the officer with a snow shovel and broom handle.
Protestors Clash with Law Enforcement Officers
"We are aware of reports of a shooting involving federal law enforcement in North Minneapolis. We are working to confirm additional details," a statement from the City of Minneapolis reads.
Minneapolis residents have protested repeatedly in the week since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman, Renee Nicole Good, on the south side of Minneapolis. As word of the latest shooting spread, protesters gathered near the apparent scene on Wednesday night. A group of them yelled at Minneapolis police officers who had blocked the street to traffic, telling the local officers that the federal agents should be arrested.