Federal agents have escalated their violent tactics in Minneapolis, targeting civilians who witnessed the fatal shooting of a nurse and attempted to document it. According to Clayton Kelly, a civilian who was brutally beaten by federal agents after witnessing the shooting, they were initially trying to carry out immigration enforcement but had shifted their purpose to crack down on dissent.
Kelly's account corroborated with an independent eyewitness reveals that federal agents used excessive force, intimidation, and arrests to deter civilians from observing or recording the incident. Kelly himself was detained for eight hours before being released after suffering severe injuries, including a burned eye, lacerations, and deep indentations on his wrists.
The incident occurred just days after another nurse, Alex Pretti, was shot and killed by federal agents. The violence and intimidation tactics used by the authorities have raised concerns about their motives and whether civilians are facing retaliation for acting as witnesses.
In December 2025, a group of Minnesota residents and the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a federal class-action lawsuit alleging that federal agents participating in Operation Metro Surge used excessive force, intimidation, and arrests to deter civilians from observing or recording immigration enforcement. A limited injunction was later issued barring agents from retaliating against peaceful protesters and observers.
The Intercept has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, CBP, and ICE with detailed questions about the use of force by federal agents in Minneapolis, but they did not provide responses.
Kelly's account corroborated with an independent eyewitness reveals that federal agents used excessive force, intimidation, and arrests to deter civilians from observing or recording the incident. Kelly himself was detained for eight hours before being released after suffering severe injuries, including a burned eye, lacerations, and deep indentations on his wrists.
The incident occurred just days after another nurse, Alex Pretti, was shot and killed by federal agents. The violence and intimidation tactics used by the authorities have raised concerns about their motives and whether civilians are facing retaliation for acting as witnesses.
In December 2025, a group of Minnesota residents and the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a federal class-action lawsuit alleging that federal agents participating in Operation Metro Surge used excessive force, intimidation, and arrests to deter civilians from observing or recording immigration enforcement. A limited injunction was later issued barring agents from retaliating against peaceful protesters and observers.
The Intercept has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, CBP, and ICE with detailed questions about the use of force by federal agents in Minneapolis, but they did not provide responses.
. I mean, you just have people witnessing a tragic event, like a nurse getting shot, and instead of helping them or providing support, these fed agents are beating them up 
? That's not right. And now we're finding out that they were trying to intimidate witnesses into not speaking out, which is literally the opposite of what our country should be about 
. I'm all for holding people accountable, but not at the expense of human rights and basic dignity. We need to make sure our law enforcement is trained to handle situations like this with care and respect, not brutal force 
. And honestly, it's not just about the witnesses - what does this say about the values we're trying to uphold in our society? 
i mean, what kind of agency uses violence and intimidation on civilians who just wanna witness or record something? it's like they're trying to erase the truth or silence people who speak out against them... and now another nurse has been killed 
and innocent people are getting hurt just for being in the wrong place at the right time. i'm so worried about our rights as citizens and the fact that these agencies seem to be above the law 
federal agents are literally going wild on civilians who just wanted to document what happened... like, I get it, there's a job to do, but you don't have to physically hurt people 
we need more transparency from our government, stat! 
it's like, who needs protests when you have puppies? 
anyway back to this whole thing... I was thinking, what's with all these laws about what we can and can't film in public? like, isn't the point of having a right to witness events is so we can share them with others? 
. It's like they think we're not human beings anymore. A nurse witnesses a fatal shooting and gets brutally beaten by the people supposed to protect us? What's going on? 
. It's time for some real answers from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. We deserve transparency and justice, not secrecy and brutality 
.