Federal immigration authorities say two federal officers may have given false accounts about a confrontation in Minneapolis. The incident ended with a man being shot in the leg. This marks a major shift from earlier claims that described the shooting as self-defense. A review of video evidence raised serious doubts about what the officers said under oath. As a result, the officers have been placed on administrative leave while investigations continue.
What Happened During the Minneapolis Confrontation
The incident happened in Minneapolis on January 14 during a federal immigration operation. Two federal officers encountered two men outside an apartment building. During that encounter, one officer fired a gun and hit a man in the leg.
At first, federal authorities said the officers were attacked. They claimed the men swung a broom and a shovel at them, and that an officer fired in self-defense. Based on this account, prosecutors charged the two men with assault and moved quickly through the courts.
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Almost immediately, people raised questions and asked for video from the scene. When that video was reviewed, it did not fully support the officers’ version of events.
ICE later confirmed that a careful review of the footage showed problems with what the officers said under oath, including statements that appeared untruthful compared with the video evidence. Because of this, the officers were taken off active duty and placed on administrative leave.
Video Review Triggers Investigations and Dropped Charges
The turning point came when ICE and the Department of Justice jointly reviewed video footage from the incident. Officials said the footage revealed facts that were “materially inconsistent” with what had been stated earlier under oath.
As a result, federal prosecutors dropped the criminal cases against the two men who had been accused of attacking the officers. Prosecutors said newly discovered evidence did not support the original charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed it is actively investigating whether false statements were made during the investigation and in court filings.
At the same time, local law enforcement agencies and local prosecutors began their own reviews. This means that more than one authority is now looking into the same event to determine whether laws or procedures were broken.
Earlier statements from federal officials had strongly defended the officers’ actions. Leaders from the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, had described the shooting as necessary to stop a serious attack. Those statements are now under scrutiny following the video review.
The shift also came shortly after the White House announced an end to a surge of federal immigration enforcement officers in the Minneapolis area. That decision followed court criticism related to how immigration detainees were being handled at a local facility.
Detentions, Court Orders, and Wider Impact on Immigrant Families
The case continued well beyond the shooting, affecting several people linked to the apartment complex. In the days that followed, multiple arrests and detentions took place, raising legal and humanitarian concerns.
A young woman, the partner of one of the men involved, was detained on the same night as the shooting. She had entered the country as a minor and had previously lived in a humanitarian shelter. After her arrest, authorities transferred her across state lines for possible deportation. A federal judge later ruled her detention illegal and ordered her release after learning her young child had suffered serious burns and needed emergency medical care.
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The two men initially charged in the incident were also released from pretrial detention by a judge. Soon after, immigration authorities took them back into custody. Another judge later ruled that detention unlawful and ordered their release.
Courts also acted to protect the investigation. A judge instructed immigration officials not to deport potential witnesses so they could speak freely to investigators.
Prosecutors later said court filings relied on information that turned out to be unreliable and did not match newly reviewed evidence. The incident has caused fear and confusion in the community and drawn concern from advocacy groups. Multiple investigations by federal and local authorities are still ongoing.