Washington, Jan 24, (dpa/GNA) – A person has died after being shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis, the US Department of Homeland Security posted on the social media platform X on Saturday.
Officers from the department “were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault” on Saturday morning when they were approached by a person with a “a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun,” the post said, accompanied by a photo of the weapon.
That person violently resisted being disarmed, the department’s X post said. “Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene.”
The Minneapolis police chief contradicted this account and said the person, died shortly afterwards in a hospital.
The police chief added that the individual was a 37-year-old white male citizen of Minneapolis, who was presumably a US citizen.
Many details of the incident initially remained unclear.
Earlier in January, an officer from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot a 37-year-old woman in her car in Minneapolis. The case caused great outrage and protests.
The Republican US administration described the action as self-defence, while opposition Democrats and demonstrators spoke of excessive force and a lack of transparency in the investigation.
The governor of the state of Minnesota in which Minneapolis is located, Tim Walz, expressed his horror on X: “I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning.
“Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.
The President must end this operation.”
He added: “Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
“We are aware of reports of another shooting involving federal law enforcement in the area of 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave. We are working to confirm additional details,” the city of Minneapolis posted on X.
At the scene of the incident in Minneapolis, at least 300 demonstrators gathered within a short time, the New York Times cited eyewitnesses as saying. The officers also used tear gas and pepper spray, it reported.
Toughened deportation policy under Trump
The ICE operations are part of the toughened deportation policy in Trump’s second term.
Since the start of intensified operations in Minnesota, around 3,000 people have been arrested, according to the administration.
Several lawsuits by local authorities against the actions of federal agencies are currently pending in courts.
GNA