Trump Defends Federal Agents After Armed Confrontation Leaves Minneapolis Man Dead
President Donald Trump has defended federal immigration agents and accused Minnesota officials of 'inciting insurrection' following Saturday's fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man who brandished a gun near officers attempting to arrest a migrant in Minneapolis. The president posted a photo of the gun authorities said belonged to the man, who died at the scene, whilst launching a blistering attack on state and local leaders who have opposed the federal immigration operation.'This is the gunman's gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about?' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'Where are the local Police? Why weren't they allowed to protect ICE Officers?'Trump Accuses State Leaders of ObstructionThe president directly targeted Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for their vocal objections to the presence of immigration agents in the city. 'The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!' Trump wrote.Trump insisted that the situation would be far worse if federal agents had not arrested 12,000 individuals. He also questioned why local police were not permitted to protect ICE officers, adding: 'It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do!'Disputed Accounts of ShootingThe Department of Homeland Security stated that the individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. 'The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted,' DHS said in a statement. 'Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots.'However, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the man had a permit to carry. Multiple videos taken before the shooting show him without a weapon in hand before agents tackled him to the ground. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino refused to answer questions about video evidence that contradicts the DHS narrative.State Officials Demand Federal WithdrawalGovernor Walz responded to the shooting by calling on Trump to end sweeping ICE operations in the state. 'Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now,' Walz wrote on X.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said video shows agents 'pummelling one of our constituents and shooting him to death'. Frey, who had warned weeks earlier that 'somebody is going to get seriously injured or killed', called the incident 'totally predictable' and 'totally avoidable'.
Screenshot fron Truth Social
Third Fatal Shooting in MinneapolisSaturday's shooting marked the third fatal incident involving federal immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis since early January. On 7 January, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a US citizen and mother of three, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross after video footage appeared to contradict federal claims.The Trump administration has deployed approximately 2,000 federal agents to Minnesota, more than three times the number of police officers employed by the Minneapolis Police Department.DOJ Investigates State LeadersThe Justice Department launched an investigation into Governor Walz and Mayor Frey for allegedly obstructing federal law enforcement officers. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche accused the two Democratic leaders of 'terrorism' in a post on X, writing: 'Walz and Frey -- I'm focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary. This is not a threat. It's a promise.'Both officials have repeatedly called for peaceful protests. 'We can, we must, protest loudly, forcefully, but also peacefully,' Walz said in an address last week.Insurrection Act Threats ContinuePresident Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy military troops to Minnesota. Two battalions from the 11th Airborne Division have been put on alert for a potential deployment.The Insurrection Act gives the president broad authority to deploy troops domestically without prior congressional approval. The law was last invoked in 1992 by former President George HW Bush during the Los Angeles riots.The standoff has created a volatile situation where federal agents patrol neighbourhoods against the wishes of state and local leadership, whilst thousands of protesters take to the streets in opposition. Trump's fixation on Minnesota appears driven by his long-running attempts to win the state and personal disdain for Governor Walz, according to local officials.
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