Four Individuals Face Federal Charges Following Minneapolis Clashes
Four people have been indicted on federal charges stemming from violent clashes with federal officers in Minneapolis, according to recent court filings. The charges include a shocking assault where a woman is accused of biting off an immigration officer's fingertip, alongside three others implicated in making threats against FBI agents.
Violent Protest Leads to Severe Assault Charge
Claire Louise Feng, a 27-year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota, has been indicted for assaulting a federal officer resulting in injury. The incident occurred during a protest on January 24, which erupted after immigration officers shot and killed Alex Pretti. In an affidavit, Homeland Security Investigations special agent Bronson Day described how Feng allegedly tackled an officer attempting to arrest another protester.
A Customs and Border Protection officer intervened, taking Feng to the ground. While trying to secure her arms, Feng bit the officer's finger through a glove. Due to the extreme cold, the officer did not immediately realize the severity of the injury. Upon removing his glove, he discovered the tip of his ring finger had been severed, exposing the bone. Medical attention was administered within an hour.
Feng's attorney, Kevin C. Riach, has stated she will vigorously contest the charge. "All you have to do to assess the credibility of ICE agents when they make allegations like this is to look at yesterday's dismissal that confirmed ICE agents have made false allegations against a defendant," Riach said. "We look forward to fighting this case and clearing Ms. Feng's name."
Threats Against FBI Agents Following Vehicle Theft
Three other individuals have been indicted in connection with threats made to FBI agents. This stems from an incident on January 14, when FBI agents investigating a shooting by an Immigration Customs Enforcement officer had to flee on foot due to unsafe protest conditions, leaving two vehicles behind.
The vehicles were vandalized and broken into, with several items stolen, including firearms, FBI identification cards, and documents containing personal information such as addresses and phone numbers of FBI employees. This information was subsequently posted on social media, leading to a barrage of threatening phone calls, text messages, and emails directed at the officers.
Brenna Marie Doyle, an 18-year-old from Spokane, Washington, was indicted on Thursday on charges of threatening to murder a federal law enforcement officer, threatening to murder a federal law enforcement officer's family member, and interstate transmission of a threat to injure a person. The indictment alleges she left voice messages threatening to kill an FBI agent and their spouse and child.
Doyle has not yet entered a plea. Her attorney, Robert D. Richman, noted they are awaiting evidence from the government to evaluate the case, emphasizing that Doyle lives in Washington state and has never been to Minnesota. "There is no allegation that she took any steps whatsoever to carry out any of these threats or come within a thousand miles of the agent," Richman said.
James Patrick Lyons, 45, of California, was indicted on five counts of interstate transmission of threats to injure a person, and Jose Alberto Ramirez, 29, of Illinois, was indicted on one count of the same charge. Both are accused of sending threatening text messages to FBI employees. Attorneys for Ramirez and Lyons did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and neither has had the opportunity to enter a plea.
These cases highlight the escalating tensions and legal repercussions following the Minneapolis clashes, with federal authorities pursuing charges to address both physical violence and cyber threats against law enforcement personnel.
