Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here we go. Here we go.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
News conference begins.
Jacob Frey (00:10):
I'm going to turn it over to the chief to provide an update and some of the details based on the limited amount of information that we have thus far this morning, and then I will provide some comments myself. Chief?
Brian O'Hara (00:24):
My name is Brian O'Hara. I am the Minneapolis Police Chief. At approximately 9:03 AM this morning, Minneneapolis Police received a report of a shooting involving federal law enforcement in the area of East 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue on the south side of the city. Officers arrived and have found an adult male with multiple gunshot wounds when they arrived. Life-saving aid was being rendered and he was transported by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center where he was later pronounced deceased.
(01:00)
Based on the information that we have, which is very limited, this is a 37-year-old white male who is a Minneapolis resident and we believe he is an American citizen. We have not been told any official reports of what has led up to the shooting, but we have seen the video that is circulating on social media.
(01:26)
Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity, and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands. We urge everyone to remain peaceful. We recognize that there is a lot of anger and a lot of questions around what has happened, but we need people to remain peaceful.
(01:53)
In the area, we have an unlawful assembly at this time. Minneapolis police have given multiple warnings for the crowd to disperse. We are asking for people to avoid the area and to leave if you are there. We have requested mutual aid from the Minnesota State Patrol and from all our local and county regional partners. We ask everyone to remain calm and to please do not destroy our own city.
Jacob Frey (02:31):
I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death. How many more residents? How many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end? How many more lives need to be lost before this administration realizes that a political and partisan narrative is not as important as American values?
(03:09)
How many times must local and national leaders must plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city? As you'll hear from Director Sayre in just a second, we have seen these kinds of operations in other places in other countries, but not here in America. Not in a way where a great American city is being invaded by its own federal government.
(03:40)
I'm done being told that our community members are responsible for the vitriol in our streets. I'm done being told that our local elected officials are solely responsible for turning down the temperature. Just yesterday, we saw 15,000 people peacefully protesting in the streets, speaking out, standing up for their neighbors, not a single broken window, not a single injury. Those peaceful protests embody the very principles that both Minneapolis and America was founded upon.
(04:20)
Conversely, the mass militarized force and unidentified agents who are occupying our streets, that is what weakens our country. That is what erodes trust in both law enforcement and in democracy itself. So to everyone listening, stand with Minneapolis. Stand up for America. Recognize that your children will ask you what side you were on. Your grandchildren will ask you what you did to act to prevent this from happening again. To make sure that the foundational elements of our democracy were rock solid. What did you do to protect your city? What did you do to protect your nation?
(05:11)
This is not what America is about. This is not a partisan issue. This is an American issue. This administration and everyone involved in this operation should be reflecting. They should be reflecting right now and asking themselves, "What exactly are you accomplishing?" If the goal was to achieve peace and safety, this is doing exactly the opposite. If the goal was to achieve calm and prosperity, this is doing exactly the opposite. Are you standing up for American families right now or are we tearing them apart?
(06:02)
The invasion of these heavily armed mask agents roaming around on our streets of Minneapolis emboldened with a sense of impunity, it has to end. This is not how it has to be. So to President Trump, this is a moment to act like a leader. Put Minneapolis, put America first in this moment. Let's achieve peace. Let's end this operation and I'm telling you our city will come back. Safety will be restored. We're asking for you to take action now to remove these federal agents. Director Sayre.
Rachel Sayre (06:59):
My name is Rachel Sayre and I am the director of the Emergency Management Department for the City of Minneapolis. I took this job to keep us safe because I live here, and this is my community. We are doing everything we can to mitigate the impacts of this terrible situation. The city's emergency operations center continues to be activated as it has throughout the surge in federal agents over the last few weeks.
(07:28)
We are tracking impacts and coordinating the city's response to this situation, which is having profound repercussions in our community. I can't underscore enough how much Operation Metro Surge is impacting our city. Families with loved ones detained and those who are afraid to be in public, lest they become targets, need help accessing the most basic necessities like food, housing, and rides to school. Businesses are shuttering and our local economy is severely impacted, which means families are suffering just as we were rounding a corner in our recovery.
(08:08)
Many of our Minneneapolis residents, my neighbors, my friends, my community members are ceasing participation in public life, afraid to even go to the doctor. In response, the city enterprise continues to utilize our entire emergency apparatus. That means staff across departments, often around the clock, are putting their regular jobs on hold in order to respond to the impacts of Metro Surge.
(08:37)
I want everyone to know there are numerous resources available to community members right now. We have mental health help available. We have food assistance, housing and rental assistance, legal help. We are sharing information about what to do if you are exposed to tear gas, pepper spray, or other chemical agents, and the state AGs and ACLU are collecting reports of rights violations. You can access these resources on the city's virtual resource center at minneapolismn.gov/ice. Please share this information with your neighbors. We have help and we want you to be able to access that.
(09:18)
My background is an international humanitarian response in conflict zones. In Yemen, Haiti, Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. What I've seen here is what I've seen there. A powerful entity, violently and intentionally terrorizing people, making them afraid to go outside so they can't earn a living, so that kids are forced out of school. This has a lasting generational impact. People can't plan a single day of their lives because they don't know who was around the corner and if their family member or neighbor is about to be taken away.
(10:00)
In these times, you see both the best and the worst. The worst is the terror and the feeling of helplessness. The best is and will continue to be our community's response. The way we are showing up for each other, that is in the absolute worst of times. We're showing up for each other in the absolute worst of times. I'll turn it back to the mayor. Thank you.
Jacob Frey (10:26):
We'll open it to questions.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
We are seeing an incredible volatile situation unfolding right now around that scene. Is there any communication right now between local and federal law enforcement or cooperation? Or where do those efforts stand to try to calm what's going on down there right now?
Jacob Frey (10:44):
I'll turn it to the chief to answer.
Brian O'Hara (10:48):
So the question was, there is a incredibly volatile scene in South Minneapolis right now and the extent of communication with law enforcement agencies. We have established a command post that is led by Minneapolis Police, and there are representatives from all of the regional, local, county, and state organizations.
(11:12)
We have had communication with Homeland Security, but they have not been able to provide us any specific details around the incident itself. We are responsible for ensuring the safety of people on the streets of our city, and we are doing everything that we can to maintain the peace right now, led by Minneapolis Police, but with the help of the Minnesota State Patrol. Hennepin and Ramsey County Sheriff's, several suburban towns are in the city helping us with 911 calls. We have done an emergency recall of all sworn personnel back to duty. And we are working with the fire department right now to ensure that two small fires that were started in the area are safely extinguished. But again, we need everyone to avoid the area if possible. And the people who are in the area, we understand your frustrations. This is not sustainable, but we need people to leave the area at this time.
Speaker 6 (12:12):
Is the National Guard involved?
Brian O'Hara (12:14):
We have communicated with the National Guard. They have been on standby for several days and we have ensured the National Guard as well as all of the local law enforcement partners are aware of the situation.
Speaker 7 (12:24):
Chief and Mayor, if I can ask you, this is a statement from Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson from DHS. She said in her statement, "An individual approached US border patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun." Seen here, they showed a picture of it. "The officers attempted to disarm the suspect, but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers and agent fired defensive shots. Medics on the scene immediately delivered medical aid." Is that what happened?
Brian O'Hara (13:01):
So Minneapolis Police, the question was, you read a statement from DHS saying that a weapon was presented and there was attempts to disarm the person. Again, like I stated earlier, Minneapolis Police as well as our supervisors, our watch commander responded to the scene. We were not provided any public safety statement around the incident, what happened. We have since seen a video that is circulating online like thousands of other people have at this time. So we do not know what happened prior to the recording that is online right now.
(13:37)
I immediately called for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to respond, to conduct an investigation. They are on the scene. I believe the FBI is on the scene as well, but I think the video speaks for itself. What I can tell you is we have identified this person, 37-year-old white male, resident of the city. The only interaction that we are aware of with law enforcement has been for traffic tickets, and we believe he is a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
Speaker 8 (14:06):
Chief, can you clarify, was MPD cut out of this investigation? Has the BCA been cut out like we've seen from the two previous shootings?
Brian O'Hara (14:14):
The question was, has MPD been cut out of the investigation and has the BCA been cut out? As I stated, I immediately requested the BCA to respond. It's my understanding that they are on the scene. I have not heard anything otherwise. There was initially some information was relayed to me over the radio that our officers were told that they were either not needed or could leave. And I gave a direct order to ensure that Minneapolis Police maintain the scene as well as other state and local law enforcement.
Speaker 8 (14:43):
Can you talk about the discrepancy-
Speaker 9 (14:45):
Chief O'Hara, do you know whether it was multiple officers involved in the shooting or one officer, and do you know their whereabouts? Are they in custody at all or still on the scene?
Brian O'Hara (14:52):
So the question was, is there multiple officers involved in the shooting? That is the preliminary information that is our understanding that it was more than one law enforcement officer involved in the discharge. And again, there is public video that shows several law enforcement officers in a scuffle with someone.
Speaker 8 (15:13):
Can you talk about the discrepancy, initial reports said that the victim here was 51 years old? The information that you have, where's that from?
Brian O'Hara (15:23):
So the question was the initial reports said the victim was 51. The information that I have is we sent Minneapolis police officers to the hospital with the individual who was shot, and they have since identified that person.
Speaker 10 (15:35):
Two more questions.
Speaker 11 (15:36):
Do you have a name of the individual that was shot?
Brian O'Hara (15:39):
I do, and I'm not releasing it.
Speaker 7 (15:42):
Have you been able to talk with Top ICE and Border Patrol officials to ask them to please be in on this? Or have you talked to them or have you been rejected?
Brian O'Hara (15:51):
The question was, have we talked with federal law enforcement to be in on this? We have had conversations with Homeland Security Investigations this morning. We are told they do not have any information to share at this time, but we will attempt to maintain those communications going forward.
Speaker 11 (16:11):
Last question. Last question. Last question.
Speaker 7 (16:11):
Do you believe that they have no information to share at this time?
Brian O'Hara (16:15):
The question was, do I believe that they have no information to share at this time? I don't know if the individual that we were in contact with would or not. This is a Saturday morning, and just like it was for us, it was a scramble to do an emergency recall and to get people to the scene.
Speaker 11 (16:30):
All right, thank you guys. We will have more information if we get any later throughout the day.