Two immigration agents may have made untruthful statements in sworn testimony about the shooting of a migrant in Minneapolis last month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has said.
ICE acting director Todd Lyons stated that the two officers, who have not been named, were placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
Lying under oath is a serious federal offence, Lyons remarked. Following this revelation, a judge granted a request to drop charges against two men previously accused of attacking the officers.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had initially claimed that a federal officer shot a man in the leg in self-defense after being attacked by three migrants with a shovel and broom handle on January 14.
However, Lyons indicated that the officers' testimonies seemed inaccurate, and that the US attorney's office is currently investigating the matter.
Video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements, he stated. The ongoing investigation could lead to termination and potential criminal prosecution for the involved officers.
The incident occurred after a police chase involving a Venezuelan national in the country illegally, leading to an altercation with a federal agent. After the altercation, the DHS claimed that the officers were ambushed by two additional individuals from a nearby apartment.
In the chaos, the officer reportedly feared for his safety and fired shots in self-defense. Following the encounter, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem remarked that the agent involved was injured but receiving treatment.
US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche criticized local leadership, attributing the incident to broader failures in governance, implying that the situation encouraged violence against law enforcement.
