Colorado lawmakers condemn federal agent killing of man in Minneapolis
The shooting and killing of a man in Minneapolis by several federal law enforcement agents on Saturday prompted almost immediate condemnation from multiple state and federal lawmakers in Colorado.
Video of the shooting showed agents hitting a man who was on the ground before at least one of them fired about 10 or 12 shots. It comes less than three weeks after an ICE agent shot and killed legal observer Renee Good, originally from Colorado, in Minneapolis.
The man shot on Saturday died at the hospital, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said. The man's name has not been released, but O'Hara said that he was 37 years old. The agents were with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claims that the man was armed and "violently resisted" before the agents shot him. O'Hara said he believes the man was a legal gun owner and had a permit to carry.
"The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming," McLaughlin said. "Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene."
In Colorado, lawmakers denounced the shooting.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser released a statement on X, saying, "Renee Good's death was a wake up call, and we just got another one this morning. If you are going to have a badge and a gun, you must be trained. Excessive force is a danger, and there must be consequences for illegal actions. My heart is with those in Minneapolis."
"Federal officers just shot another person in Minneapolis," Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper said in a tweet. "This is horrific. We are still learning more about what happened, but one thing is clear, the President needs to get ICE and Border Patrol units out of our communities. NOW."
Democratic Rep. Jason Crow, whose district includes Aurora, called the shooting "Another horrific killing by masked & untrained federal agents."
And Colorado Democratic state Rep. Brianna Titone, whose district includes Jefferson County, said, "9 thugs beating up one guy and two of them gun him down, shooting several times after he's already motionless. For those who remember, this must be what the Federal Government Death Panels they were talking about finally hitting the streets."
