Minnesota Investigators Say FBI Is Denying Them Access to Evidence' in ICE Shooting Case

"On Jan. 7, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was notified that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel were involved in a shooting in Minneapolis that resulted in a woman's death. That morning, after consultation with the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI, it was decided that the BCA Force Investigations Unit would conduct a joint investigation with the FBI."

"Later that afternoon, the FBI informed the BCA that the U.S. Attorney's Office had reversed course: the investigation would now be led solely by the FBI, and the BCA would no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation. Without complete access to the evidence, witnesses and information collected, we cannot meet the investigative standards that Minnesota law and the public demands."

"The BCA Force Investigations Unit was designed to ensure consistency, accountability and public confidence, none of which can be achieved without full cooperation and jurisdictional clarity. The BCA Force Investigations Unit was created in 2020 by the legislature to provide an independent, consistent and trusted mechanism for investigating use of force incidents involving law enforcement officers. This unit is the result of years of scrutiny, public engagemen"

On Jan. 7 the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was notified that ICE personnel were involved in a Minneapolis shooting that resulted in a woman's death. After consultation with Hennepin County and U.S. Attorney's offices and the FBI, the BCA Force Investigations Unit initially planned a joint investigation and responded to the scene. Later that afternoon the FBI informed the BCA that the U.S. Attorney's Office reversed course, assigning sole investigative lead to the FBI and denying BCA access to case materials, scene evidence and interviews. The BCA said it could not meet Minnesota investigative standards without full access and therefore withdrew. The BCA Force Investigations Unit, created in 2020, aims to ensure independent, consistent investigations, accountability and public confidence, which require cooperation and jurisdictional clarity.

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