MINNEAPOLIS — Prosecutors in Hennepin County have charged a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with two counts of second-degree assault for allegedly pointing his service weapon at two people in another vehicle while driving on a Minneapolis-area highway in February, officials said Thursday.
The officer, Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, of Maryland, was assigned to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division and had been detailed to Minneapolis as part of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge known as Operation Metro Surge, according to a criminal complaint.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the charges mark the first criminal case against a federal agent involved in the Minnesota operation.
According to the complaint, on Feb. 5, Morgan was driving an unmarked black rental SUV on the shoulder of eastbound Highway 62 near the Interstate 35W interchange, appearing to bypass slower traffic. The driver of another vehicle briefly moved onto the shoulder to slow Morgan down, then returned to the traffic lane, prosecutors said.
Morgan then pulled alongside the vehicle, rolled down his window and pointed his duty handgun directly at the driver and passenger, according to the complaint. The victims, who did not know Morgan was a law enforcement officer, called 911 and provided cellphone video of the SUV’s license plate, authorities said.
Morgan voluntarily spoke with Minnesota State Patrol investigators the following day and said he feared for his safety after the other vehicle cut him off, the complaint states. He told investigators he drew his firearm and yelled “Police Stop”. The complaint noted Morgan made no claim he was conducting a law enforcement operation or responding to an emergency.
“There is no such thing as absolute immunity for federal agents who violate the law in the state of Minnesota,” Moriarty told a news conference, adding that Morgan’s alleged actions fell outside the scope of federal authority.
A nationwide warrant has been issued for Morgan’s arrest, according to Moriarty’s office. It remained unclear Friday whether Morgan has retained an attorney. The Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
