Law enforcement, protesters clash in south Minneapolis after ICE shooting

The U.S. Border Patrol commander has arrived in Minneapolis, according to a X post by city council member Jason Chavez.

Chavez posted a photo of Gregory Bovino walking down 33rd Street and Portland Avenue, flanked by three agents wearing masks. 

Officials said Bovino, who has overseen several controversial immigration operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and New Orleans, said he is expected to lead enforcement efforts in Minnesota as well.

WCCO cameras captured federal agents using chemical irritants on protesters in the vicinity of 34th and Portland in South Minneapolis.

This happened after a number of protesters began throwing snowballs at federal vehicles on the scene.

A WCCO photojournalist witnessed multiple Minneapolis City Council members walking the perimeter of the scene, trying to calm the crowd and explain that they are trying to get ICE out of the scene.

A day before Wednesday's shooting, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said he feared the growing presence of federal agents in the city would lead to violence.

"I've been concerned for weeks that because the issue is so emotional, because, frankly, some of the way this stuff has been carried out, the greatest risk to me is that there would be unrest or that there would be a tragedy," O'Hara said. "That somebody could get seriously hurt or killed because of what's happening."

Also on Tuesday, in an interview with WCCO, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the goal of the federal operations is "chaos and terrorizing people."

"This political theater that they're engaging in has real impacts on our constituents," Frey said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is calling on federal forces to withdraw from the city following Wednesday morning's incident in south Minneapolis.

"I am aware of a shooting involving an ICE agent at 34th Street & Portland. The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city. We're demanding ICE to leave the city immediately," Frey said. "We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities."

Sen. Tina Smith said, "I'm aware of the reports of an ICE related shooting in Minneapolis and am working as hard as I can to get answers. I'll share any updates as I learn more."

Gov. Tim Walz said in a post on X that his team is "working to gather information on an ICE related shooting" Wednesday morning.

"We will share information as we learn more. In the meantime, I ask folks to remain calm," he wrote.

A witness at the scene tells WCCO's Conor Wright she heard two gunshots fired in the area, followed by a car crash.

"I see a red truck, airbag inflated with blood all over it and a woman on the side of the road, and the ambulance trying to come through," the witness said. "[Federal agents] were trying to tell me to move out of the way when they had their trucks blocking me."

The witness says the victim was a mother "trying to flee from ICE agents."

Last month in St. Paul, Minnesota, a federal agent fired their weapon after being hit by a vehicle, according to police.

The agent suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and no one was hurt in the shooting, police said. 

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the suspect was an undocumented immigrant from Cuba who was "noncompliant" during a traffic stop.  

McLaughlin said the shooting would be reviewed by "the appropriate law enforcement agency," as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In a post to social media, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office says it's "aware of an incident" off Portland Avenue and East 34th Street, but its deputies were "not involved in the incident." 

"We have sent deputies to the area to assist as needed," the sheriff's office writes.