Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said Wednesday it has withdrawn from the investigation into a Minneapolis shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel that left a woman dead, after federal prosecutors and the FBI moved to make the case a federal-only probe.
The bureau said it was notified on Jan. 7 that ICE personnel were involved in the shooting. After consultations with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, state officials initially agreed that the BCA Force Investigations Unit would conduct a joint investigation with the FBI, according to BCA.
Later that day, the FBI told the BCA that the U.S. Attorney’s Office had reversed course and that the investigation would be led solely by the FBI. The BCA said it would no longer have access to case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews.
“Without complete access to the evidence, witnesses and information collected, we cannot meet the investigative standards that Minnesota law and the public demands,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said in the statement.
The BCA said its Force Investigations Unit was created by the legislature in 2020 to provide an independent process for use-of-force cases involving law enforcement officers, and to strengthen public confidence through consistency and accountability.
The bureau said it expects the FBI to conduct a thorough investigation and that the full investigative file will be shared with prosecutorial authorities at both the state and federal levels. The BCA also said that it is ready to get back to work if federal officials change their minds and agree to continue the joint investigation.
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