ICE agent charged with allegedly pulling a gun on motorists in Minneapolis
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent was charged with assault for allegedly pointing a gun at the heads of two motorists in Minneapolis in February, the Hennepin County Attorney's office said Thursday.
According to the prosecutor's complaint, Gregory Morgan Jr., an ICE agent in Minneapolis, was ending his shift on Feb. 5 and was a driving back to the Whipple Federal Building when a person allegedly cut him off as Morgan was trying to pass them, and the agent then allegedly brandished a firearm at them.
Morgan, of Temple Hills, Maryland, is charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and a warrant has been issued nationwide for his arrest. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarity said in a news conference Thursday that Morgan has not been taken into custody but hopes he'll turn himself in.
The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to ABC News' request for comment.
The incident occurred during a contentious period in Minneapolis when the city was the focal point of an immigration enforcement surge and after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal law enforcement. During that time questions arose about whether ICE agents could be prosecuted by state or local authorities.
Moriarity said Thursday that Morgan was driving "illegally" on the shoulder, "appearing to bypass shoulder traffic."
The complainant told police that they did not know the person driving the other car was an ICE agent until investigators told them, according to the prosecutor's complaint.
"There were no markings on Defendant's vehicle that would identify it as law enforcement and the vehicle was not displaying or using lights or sirens," according to the complaint. "Defendant continued to travel on the shoulder but rather than continue to drive past the victims, he pulled alongside their vehicle, rolled down his window, and pointed a black handgun directly at Victim 1 and Victim 2. Victim 1 had a clear view of Defendant's appearance, saw that Defendant was wearing a black t-shirt, saw that the gun was pointed directly at their heads, saw that the gun was a Glock or Sig Sauer handgun with what appeared to be a red-dot sight, and noted that Defendant 2 yelled something indiscernible."
That is when they called police to report what had happened, the complaint said.
Investigators interviewed Morgan, his supervisor and his partner a day later.
According to the prosecutor's complaint:
"[Morgan] stated that Victim 1 swerved over in front of him and cut him off. Defendant claimed that he feared for his safety and the safety of others so, in response, he pulled alongside Victim 1's vehicle, rolled down his window, drew his firearm, and yelled 'Police Stop.' [Morgan] stated he was trying to get Victim 1 to 'back up.' Defendant acknowledged that his firearm was a Glock 19 with a laser light, which Defendant had holstered on his right hip at the time of the interview. Defendant stated that after he pulled the gun on Victim 1 and Victim 2 he got in front of their vehicle and drove to the Whipple Building."
Investigators also said they received cellphone footage from the complainant and reviewed traffic camera footage from the road on which they were traveling.
