ICE agent accused of pulling gun on 2 people on Twin Cities highway turns himself in, is released on bond
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent facing assault charges for allegedly pointing a gun at two people on a Twin Cities highway turned himself in to authorities on Thursday before being released on bond.
Gregory Morgan Jr., of Temple Hills, Maryland, was charged in Hennepin County in April with two counts of second-degree assault in the Feb. 5 incident. WCCO was there on Thursday as he turned himself in and was subsequently released. Jail records show he was released on $100,000 bond.
Charges say that the two victims were driving east on Highway 62 on the Interstate 35W interchange when Morgan approached from behind in an unmarked black Ford Expedition. Charges say he was driving illegally on the right shoulder when the victim in the other car said they moved in front of him to "cut him off."
The victim then moved back to the traffic lane and Morgan pulled up beside them, pointing a black handgun at the two occupants of the car, charges say. The occupants, not realizing that Morgan was an ICE agent, called 911.
In a voluntary interview, Morgan said he was "conducting surveillance on behalf of ICE" and said he feared for his safety when he was cut off on the highway. He said he drew his firearm and yelled "Police Stop," then drove back to the Whipple Federal Building near Fort Snelling.
"The allegations against Gregory Morgan arise from a brief, frightening, and highly stressful roadway encounter that happened in a matter of seconds during congested rush-hour traffic. An encounter that Mr. Morgan did not initiate," said Ryan Pacyga, Morgan's attorney. "It came on the heels of many days of fear that both citizens as well as law enforcement were experiencing during operations in our Twin Cities metro area."
Pacyga says that Morgan's legal team has already identified information in the complaint that they call "inaccurate and incomplete."
"This situation presented a perceived danger, and Mr. Morgan reacted in real time. These are precisely the kinds of situations where perspective, perception, stress, and split-second decision-making matter," Pacyga said.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in April when announcing charges that her office believes that Morgan's actions were "extremely dangerous" and "well beyond" the scope of his authority as a law enforcement agent. Moriarty believes the charges against the agent are the first of their kind nationally.
Moriarty said that, when it came to the people in the vehicle initially cutting Morgan off, it was not a good idea. Ultimately, she said it could amount to a petty misdemeanor, but she's focused on the actions of the ICE agent.
Morgan made his first court appearance Friday, where a judge ordered him to remain make future court appearances, not possess any weapons, not make contact with witnesses and not travel outside the country.
"Today's first appearance is a critical step in our effort to seek accountability, and we are prepared for the different paths this case may take," Moriarty said. "Mr. Morgan is entitled to a fair trial, so additional comment from this office will be limited in accordance with the integrity, professionalism, and ethics we demand of our prosecutors."
