The Department of Homeland Security says a federal officer shot a person in the leg after being attacked during a Minneapolis arrest

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal officer shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis after he was attacked with a shovel and broom while trying to arrest a man Wednesday, officials said.

Smoke filled the street near the site of the shooting as federal officers and protesters fought. A group of officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas and grenades into a small crowd while protesters threw snowballs and chanted “Our streets.”

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Such scenes have become common on the streets of Minneapolis since the January 7 shooting of Rene Judd by an immigration agent. Agents pulled people from cars and homes and confronted angry bystanders who demanded that officers pack up and leave.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on the social media platform X that federal law enforcement officers arrested a person from Venezuela who was in the United States illegally. The person drove away and crashed into a parked car before taking off on foot, DHS said.

After officers reached the person, two other people arrived from a nearby apartment and the three began attacking the officer, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

“Fearing for his life and safety when he was ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” the Department of Homeland Security said.

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She added that the two people who left the apartment are in custody.

The man who was shot was in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the city of Minneapolis said on Channel X.

“We understand that there is anger,” she said. “We ask the public to remain calm.”

The shooting occurred about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) north of where Judd was killed.

Clashes in court too

Earlier Wednesday, a judge gave the Trump administration time to respond to a request to suspend its anti-immigration crackdown in Minnesota while the Pentagon searched for military lawyers to join what has become a chaotic law enforcement effort in the state.

“What we need more than anything right now is a pause,” Assistant State Attorney Brian Carter said during the first hearing in a lawsuit brought by Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. “The temperature has to turn down.”

Local leaders say the government is violating freedom of expression and other constitutional rights with increased law enforcement. US District Judge Katherine Menendez promised to keep the case “at the forefront” and gave the US Department of Justice until Monday to file a response to the request for a restraining order.

The judge said these were “serious and important issues” and that there was little legal precedent that could be applied to some of the key points in the case.

Justice Department lawyer Andrew Warden noted that Menendez’s approach is appropriate.

The judge is also dealing with a separate lawsuit challenging the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officials when they confront protesters and observers. The decision may be issued this week.

During a televised speech on Wednesday evening, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described Minnesota as being in a state of chaos, saying that what is happening in the state “defies belief.”

“Let’s be very clear, this has long since ceased to be an immigration enforcement issue,” he said. “Instead, it is an organized, brutal campaign against the people of Minnesota by our federal government.”

Walz added that “accountability” will come through the courts.

Military lawyers may join this increase

The Department of Homeland Security says it has arrested more than 2,000 people in the state since early December, and has vowed not to back down. The Pentagon is preparing to send military lawyers to Minneapolis to help.

CNN, citing an email circulating in the Army, says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is asking the branches to identify 40 attorneys known as general advocate officers, or JAGs, 25 of whom will serve as special assistant U.S. attorneys in Minneapolis.

Pentagon spokesman Kingsley Wilson appeared to confirm the CNN report by posting it on X with a comment that the military was “proud to support” the Department of Justice.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to emails sent by The Associated Press seeking further details.

It’s the latest step by the Trump administration to send military and civilian lawyers to areas where federal immigration operations are taking place. US Attorney General Dr. Michael Dunavant said that the Pentagon sent 20 lawyers to Memphis last week.

Mark Nevitt, an associate professor at Emory University School of Law and a former Navy officer, said there are concerns that the assignments keep lawyers out of the military justice system.

“There are not many armed groups, but there are more than a million members of the army, and they all need legal support,” he said.

An official says the agent who killed Judd was injuredJonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who killed Judd, suffered internal bleeding in his torso during the encounter, a Department of Homeland Security official told The Associated Press.

The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss Ross’ medical condition. The official did not provide details about the severity of the injuries, nor did the agency respond to questions about the extent of the bleeding, how specifically he was injured, and when he was diagnosed or given medical treatment.

There are many causes of internal bleeding, and they vary in severity from bruising to significant blood loss. Video from the scene showed Ross and other officers walking without apparent difficulty after Judd was shot and her Honda Pilot collided with other vehicles.

She was killed after three Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers surrounded her SUV on a snow-covered street a few blocks from her home.

A bystander video shows an officer ordering Jade to open the door and grab the handle. As the car begins to move forward, Ross stands in front, raises his weapon and fires at least three shots at close range. He backs up as the SUV advances and turns.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Ross was hit by the car and that Judd was using her SUV as a weapon — a self-defense claim that was harshly criticized by Minnesota officials.

Chris Madel, Ross’s attorney, declined to comment on any injuries.

“Agent of peace”

Meanwhile, Judd’s family hired a law firm, Romanucci & Blandin, which represented George Floyd’s family in a $27 million settlement with Minneapolis. Floyd, who was black, died after a white police officer pinned his neck to the ground in the street in May 2020.

The company said that Judd was following orders to move her car when she was shot. She said she would conduct her own investigations and share what she learned publicly.

“They do not want to use her as a political pawn,” the company said, referring to Goode and her family, “but as an agent of peace for all.”

Student march against ICE

Hundreds of teens left school in St. Paul, waving signs reading “Love Melts ICE” and “DE-ICE MN,” and marched in freezing temperatures to the state Capitol to protest and rally.

Meanwhile, the University of Minnesota has informed its 50,000-plus students that there may be online options for some classes when the new semester begins next week. “Violence and protests have arrived at our doorstep,” President Rebecca Cunningham noted. The campus is located adjacent to Minneapolis’ main Somali neighborhood.

Associated Press reporters Julie Watson in San Diego, California; Rebecca Santana in Washington, D.C.; Ed White in Detroit; Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis; Graham Lee Brewer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Haley Golden in Seattle contributed.