On January 24, 2026, federal agents in South Minneapolis were involved in a confrontation that ended with an armed man shot at the intersection of West 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue. Video from the scene shows agents wrestling a man to the ground before at least one agent fired multiple rounds, and officials say a firearm was recovered at the scene.
The chilling footage and chaotic aftermath came just weeks after another deadly encounter between a federal officer and a city resident, meaning Minneapolis is now dealing with multiple volatile clashes tied to federal immigration enforcement. Crowds quickly gathered, tensions soared, and federal officers deployed crowd-control measures as the situation spiraled into protest and confusion.
This latest episode is part of a troubling pattern: three separate incidents in a matter of weeks in the same city in which federal officers discharged their weapons during enforcement operations. That context matters because it shows this is not an isolated event but the predictable result of putting thousands of federal enforcers into neighborhoods where local leadership has signaled hostility toward their mission.
Patriots should ask a simple question: what would you have officers do when faced with an armed suspect resisting arrest in the middle of a busy neighborhood? Federal officers say the man was armed and resisted, and that evidence recovered at the scene supports their account; men and women in uniform deserve the presumption that they acted to protect themselves and bystanders until a full, transparent investigation proves otherwise.
Instead of reflexive denunciations and calls to remove federal agents from the state, Minnesotans need elected leaders who back the rule of law and demand facts, not partisan soundbites. Governor Tim Walz and other local officials have every right to demand answers, but weaponizing tragedy into a political crusade that undermines enforcement only makes communities less safe and encourages lawlessness.
Conservatives stand with lawful enforcement that protects citizens from violent criminals and secures our borders; we do not cheer shootings, but we will not kneecap officers doing hard work because of left-wing posturing. Let the cameras roll, let the investigators do their jobs, and let justice proceed without political interference—then and only then will Minnesotans get the truth and the safety they deserve.
