Background of the Incident
In January, a significant event took place in Minneapolis involving two Venezuelan men and federal immigration officers. Initially, authorities accused Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis of assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a chase and scuffle. The incident ended with a non-fatal shooting, leading to the suspension of two federal officers involved in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
The city of Minneapolis released a video on Monday that captured part of the incident, showing a chase and confrontation that led to the shooting. This footage has sparked questions about the handling of the case by federal authorities.
Video Release and Public Reaction
The video, obtained from a city-owned security camera, depicts a scene where federal officers chased a Venezuelan man to his home. Another individual was shot during the confrontation. In February, federal authorities dropped all charges against the two immigrants and initiated a criminal investigation into whether two immigration officers lied under oath about what transpired.
The New York Times reported that federal investigators had access to the video within hours of the January 14 shooting but did not watch it until nearly three weeks after they had charged the two men. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey commented that the video clearly shows discrepancies between the federal government’s account and the facts.
Details of the Incident
Federal authorities initially accused the two men of beating an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel during the incident. The officer fired a single shot from his handgun, striking Sosa-Celis in his right thigh. Protesters quickly flocked to the scene and clashed with other officers, who were wearing gas masks and helmets.
The city provided no narrative on what the video depicts except to say that it was “related” to the shooting. A statement said: “The City has no additional information and will not be making further comments at this time.”
Analysis of the Video
The video, shot from a distance in the dark, appears to show a person standing with a snow shovel outside the house, near the street, then retreating towards the house and tossing the shovel into the garden. This happens as a person being chased by another person runs up from the street, falls on the pavement, gets up, and keeps heading towards the house.
The three appear to scuffle near the front steps for about 10 seconds. The exact moment when Sosa-Celis is shot is not clear. A car with flashing lights pulls up and another person walks up. The camera actively panned over to view the street where the incident happened before any cars arrived, indicating that someone may have been manually controlling it in real time.
Legal Developments
The cases against Aljorna and Sosa-Celis were dropped after a highly unusual motion from the chief federal prosecutor for Minnesota, US Attorney Daniel Rosen, who said “newly discovered evidence” was “materially inconsistent with the allegations” that were made in the criminal complaint and with evidence presented at a hearing at their preliminary hearing.
He said dismissal with prejudice, which meant the charges could not be refiled, “would serve the interests of justice.” Rosen and other federal prosecutors involved in the case, as well as the Justice Department, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Associated Press on Monday.
Response from ICE and Legal Representation
ICE did not mention the video in a statement but reaffirmed its earlier statement that two officers involved appeared to have given untruthful testimony under oath, and that they were immediately placed on administrative leave pending completion of an internal investigation. Their names were not made public.
“Lying under oath is a serious federal offence. The US Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements,” the ICE statement said. “Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution.”
The statement did not elaborate on the status of their case. Aljorna’s lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Sosa-Celis’ lawyer, Robin Wolpert, said: “The video is evidence in ongoing state and federal investigations so I can’t comment.”
Both men are free while they seek legal status. They were ordered released even before the criminal charges were dropped but ICE took them back into custody for alleged immigration violations before releasing them, again under court order.
Ongoing Investigations and Legal Challenges
State and county prosecutors have been frustrated by the refusal of federal authorities to share information on the incident, as well as the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers. They sued the Trump administration late last month for access to evidence they say they need to independently investigate the three shootings.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the video, citing the active investigation.
