MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota officials are planning to investigate the actions of federal law enforcement officers in one county, potentially including a kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher announced that they would release further details about the investigation at a news conference later Monday. Ramsey County is home to the state capital of St. Paul.
Choi and Fletcher indicated that they would seek necessary information for the investigation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Thus far, the department has not cooperated with previous state and local inquiries relating to the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts.
The announcement did not specify which incidents are under investigation, but the county's chief prosecutor and sheriff stated that they would be asking the public for information regarding these and other related matters.
Moreover, the state and the chief prosecutor in Hennepin County, which encompasses Minneapolis, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration last month to gain access to essential evidence needed for their independent investigations of three shootings by federal officers, including the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
The lawsuit claims that the federal government failed to uphold its promise to assist state investigations, particularly following a significant increase in federal law enforcement presence in Minnesota.
Additionally, state and Hennepin County officials appealed to the public to share any information regarding possible illegal conduct by federal officers, given the lack of cooperation from federal authorities.
The Trump administration has proposed that Minnesota officials lack jurisdiction to investigate these cases, while state and local prosecutors maintain that they must conduct their inquiries independently due to their mistrust of federal investigations.
In January, the Justice Department announced it was initiating a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti's killing, and two officers involved have been placed on leave. As of now, the agency has determined that a similar investigation into Good’s death is unwarranted.
