LOS ANGELES, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Minnesota officials said Thursday that the U.S. state has "reluctantly withdrawn" from an investigation into the fatal shooting of a woman on Wednesday by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Superintendent Drew Evans said in a statement that the investigation "would now be led solely" by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and his agency had withdrawn from the investigation as a result.
"The BCA would no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation," Evans noted, adding that "without complete access to the evidence, witnesses and information collected, we cannot meet the investigative standards."
Evans said they "expect the FBI to conduct a thorough and complete investigation and that the full investigative file will be shared with the appropriate prosecutorial authorities at both the state and federal levels."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz expressed dissatisfaction with the federal officials' decision to bar BCA from participating in the investigation into the shooting death of the 37-year-old woman. He called on the Trump administration to "leave Minnesota alone" during a press briefing.
The City of Minneapolis said in a post on social media that the decision to remove the BCA from the shooting investigation is "deeply disappointing."
"We are concerned that the investigation is proceeding without state partners, and we are calling for a clear and transparent process that includes state investigating agencies," the post said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Minnesota state investigators of allowing volatility and "not doing their work" when asked by reporters about the BCA being cut out of the investigation into the fatal shooting, according to NBC News.
"Obstructing, impeding, or attacking federal law enforcement is a federal crime. So is damaging federal property," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday in a social media post. "If you cross that red line, you will be arrested and prosecuted. Do not test our resolve."
The situation in Minneapolis has remained tense following the shooting as outrage grew in the city. Several people were reportedly arrested Thursday after a group of protesters clashed with law enforcement outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, which houses multiple federal agencies, including the local ICE office.
Public schools in Minneapolis announced the cancellation of classes for the rest of the week due to "safety concerns" related to incidents around the city. ■
