MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis officials released a video on Monday showing a chase and scuffle culminating in a nonfatal shooting that had occurred in January. This incident involved federal officers amidst the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
The footage, captured by a city-owned security camera, depicts federal officers pursuing a Venezuelan man to his residence, where another man was shot during the altercation. In February, federal authorities dropped all charges against the two immigrants and commenced a criminal probe to determine whether the officers had lied under oath regarding the event.
Concerns regarding the timeline surfaced when the New York Times revealed that federal investigators had access to the footage shortly after the shooting but only reviewed it nearly three weeks later. This gap raised questions about the sequence of decisions leading to the dropped charges.
“The video clarifies that the federal government's account does not align with the truth, similar to other cases during Operation Metro Surge,” stated Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
Initially, the two immigrants, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, were accused of assaulting an ICE officer, who in turn discharged his firearm, injuring Sosa-Celis in the thigh. Following the video release and subsequent investigations, the cases against them were dismissed on grounds of newly discovered evidence that was inconsistent with earlier claims.
The city did not provide an extensive narrative regarding the video and indicated it wouldn't comment further at this time, while also expressing frustrations shared by state and county prosecutors over federal authorities' lack of cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
While both men are currently free, they had been released on prior immigration violations custody prior to the dismissal of their charges. Both are reported to be seeking legal status moving forward amid an atmosphere of scrutiny surrounding the federal immigration enforcement's conduct.
