(MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA) — A Federal officer shot a man in the leg during a targeted traffic stop in north Minneapolis on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, after a crash, a foot pursuit and an alleged attack involving a shovel and a broom handle, officials said.
The Department of Homeland Security said the officer fired a defensive shot while trying to make an arrest, and said two other alleged attackers were taken into custody.
Smoke later filled the street near the north Minneapolis site as federal officers and protesters faced off, with officers firing crowd-control munitions and protesters throwing snowballs and chanting, “Our streets.”
DHS said the stop happened around 6:50 p.m. local time and involved a Venezuelan man. The agency identified him as someone who “entered the U.S. illegally in 2022.”
After crashing his vehicle, DHS said, the man fled on foot and attacked the officer along with two other people. DHS said the officer was attacked with a shovel and broom handle.
DHS framed the shooting as self-defense, saying the officer fired “fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals.”
The agency said the two alleged attackers came from a nearby apartment and are in custody. Details on the shot man’s condition remained unclear.
A separate shooting response was reported hours later in south Minneapolis. Minneapolis police responded to reports of shots fired in the East 34th Street and Portland Avenue area around 9:30 a.m. Thursday and found a 37-year-old woman with life-threatening gunshot wounds, officials said.
Firefighters extracted the woman from a vehicle, provided aid and took her to Hennepin County Medical Center, where she died, officials said.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the episode at a press conference, focusing his criticism on federal immigration enforcement activity and the use of force. He called it a “federal agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying.”
“ICE — Get the f*** out of Minneapolis. You are doing exactly the opposite”
Addressing Immigration and Customs Enforcement directly, Frey said: “ICE — Get the f*** out of Minneapolis. You are doing exactly the opposite” of creating safety.
“People are being hurt, families are being ripped apart. someone is dead. That’s on you,”
“People are being hurt, families are being ripped apart. someone is dead. That’s on you,” Frey said.
Frey also urged calm in the city’s response. “Do not take the bait. Let’s show them something far more beautiful than the kind of division that they’re trying to stoke,” he said.
DHS and the mayor offered sharply different framing of what unfolded and what it means for public safety. DHS presented the officer’s actions as a defensive response during an arrest attempt, while Frey described the federal presence as fueling danger and disorder.
Neither set of statements included details about any body-worn camera video, and no charging information was provided in the accounts released Wednesday. Officials also did not describe an investigative process or which agency would review the use of force.
In the hours after the north Minneapolis shooting, protesters and federal officers clashed near the scene. Officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas, pepper balls and flashbangs into a small crowd, witnesses and a reporter said.
Protesters threw snowballs and chanted, “Our streets,” as smoke hung in the air and the scene grew tense.
Reporter Jillian Frankel described a “very chaotic scene” with smoky air and freezing conditions. She said crowds pushed agents back a block.
Federal officers also fired tear gas and grenades during the confrontation, officials and witnesses said. The exchange unfolded amid shouting and drifting smoke along the street.
City officials said they learned about the federal-involved shooting through social media. Frey retweeted information about it, according to accounts from city officials.
As of late Wednesday, the Minneapolis Police Department had not provided further details to reporters, according to the accounts circulating publicly.
Frey linked the events to broader federal immigration enforcement activity in the city, describing an increase in chaos tied to ICE operations. Officials did not provide details about the scope of those operations in the statements released Wednesday.
Community groups and local officials pointed residents to general information that circulates during periods of heightened federal activity, including “Know Your Rights” materials and federal activity response information. The city also referenced its Know Your Rights page.
DHS’s account centered on the moments around the targeted stop and the officer’s decision to fire. The department said the Venezuelan man crashed his vehicle, ran, and then joined two others in attacking the officer with objects.
That account described the officer as outnumbered and under attack, and said the shot was meant to stop the assault. DHS did not provide additional medical detail about the man who was shot.
Authorities also gave no public description of the officer’s condition in the statements released Wednesday. The accounts did not say whether the officer required treatment.
The death of the 37-year-old woman, found with life-threatening gunshot wounds in another area of the city, added to the pressure on officials to explain what happened and whether the incidents were connected. The publicly released accounts did not establish any connection.
Officials described Minneapolis firefighters removing the woman from a vehicle before transport to Hennepin County Medical Center. She was pronounced dead there, officials said.
The rapid sequence of events put city leaders and federal officials on different tracks, with DHS describing a law enforcement encounter during an arrest attempt and the mayor addressing the broader impact of federal enforcement activity in Minneapolis.
Frey’s comments also reflected concern over community reaction and public trust. His call for calm came alongside a blunt condemnation of ICE’s presence.
On the ground, the crowd response was shaped by both the cold and the escalating police tactics, witnesses said. Smoke and chemical irritants hung near the scene, and the use of flashbangs intensified the standoff.
DHS did not describe the crowd-control response in its statement about the traffic stop and arrest attempt. The accounts of tear gas, pepper balls and flashbangs came from descriptions of the clashes near the site.
City officials’ account of learning about the shooting through social media highlighted a gap between federal action and local communication. Minneapolis police had not yet offered a fuller narrative to reporters by late Wednesday, according to the information released publicly.
Officials characterized the situation as fluid. All reports described the case as a developing story, with updates expected as authorities clarify the man’s condition, potential charges tied to the alleged attack, and any reviews of the officer’s use of force.
A federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis led to a shooting and subsequent civil unrest. After a suspect allegedly attacked an officer with improvised weapons, the officer fired, wounding the man. This sparked a standoff between federal agents and protesters. Mayor Jacob Frey has demanded that ICE leave the city, accusing the agency of stoking division and endangering residents during the chaotic winter confrontation.
