Federal immigration agents pursuing a man in a vehicle caused a multi-vehicle crash in Minnesota early Wednesday, police said.
St. Paul police said officers responded to the intersection of Western and Selby Avenues around 9:40 a.m. to a report of a crash, and a “large crowd” subsequently formed at the scene.
“The preliminary information we received was that federal agents were pursuing a person in a vehicle when the vehicle crashed,” police said in a statement. “Saint Paul Police officers assisted at the scene of the crash and are writing a crash report.”
The man being pursued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents prior to the wreck outside of Nina’s Coffee Cafe was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was later identified as Alexander Romero-Avila, an illegal immigrant originally from Honduras, according to Department of Homeland Security officials.
“In a dangerous attempt to resist arrest, this illegal alien tried to evade law enforcement and began driving recklessly and ran red lights, endangering public safety and law enforcement,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek in a statement. “Romero-Avila crashed his vehicle into multiple vehicles and [an] ICE law enforcement vehicle. Law enforcement immediately called 911 to get medical assistance.”
No members of the public or ICE officers were hurt in the crash, McLaughlin said.
“These dangerous attempts to evade arrest have surged since sanctuary politicians have encouraged illegal aliens to evade arrest and provided guides advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest,” McLaughlin’s statement concluded. “Our officers are now facing a 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks.”
Romero-Avila was taken to the hospital in an ambulance while covered by a sheet. A medic said he asked to be covered for privacy, Minnesota Reformer reported.
His injuries were “not serious, that’s all I can say,” the medic told the outlet.
A woman whose air bag went off during the multi-vehicle crash also went to the hospital, but it’s unclear if she was injured, Minnesota Reformer reported.
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her denounced ICE officials in a statement following the crash.
“The incident today at Selby and Western underscores the fact that ICE is still present, causing chaos, and putting residents at risk in Saint Paul,” she said. “I want to thank those who continue to show up and keep watch over their neighbors. I also want to thank the Saint Paul Police for staying on the scene to clean up and ensure those impacted received assistance.”
The cars of several bystanders had been damaged during the incident, according to the mayor, who called on federal immigration officials to leave Minnesota.
“This is just another incident that tells us loud and clear: Operation Metro Surge needs to end immediately,” Her said.
At least three vehicles, including one belonging to DHS officials, were damaged in the crash, MPR News reported.
Two witnesses told the outlet they saw a person crawl through the window of a red Toyota Prius and dash across the street as a federal agent chased him.
“He was saying, ‘I’m going to tase you, I’m going to tase you’ and I was trying to yell out my window for him to go around the front the building so I could let him in, but he never made it around,” resident Liz Andriacchi said.
Another witness, Abdi Ali, said he saw the Prius accelerate from behind before striking his vehicle. The Toyota then careened into a car belonging to Becky Zea, MPR News reported.
“I just thought somebody was speeding,” Zea told the outlet. “I didn’t quite realize what was happening until I got out of my car and then I saw the officer who was ICE had gotten out of the car and was pursing the man or woman on foot and no one came to check on me.”
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