WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

In the early morning Saturday before the snow started to fall, troopers initiated a traffic stop for a traffic violation, and the driver fled, according to a social media report from the Kansas Highway Patrol. 

After a short pursuit, the vehicle came to a stop. The driver was arrested, and troopers located drugs inside the vehicle. The Patrol did not report the name of the suspect or possible charges involved.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769396371290.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769381029087.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>In the early morning Saturday before the snow started to fall, troopers initiated a traffic stop for a traffic violation, and the driver fled, according to a social media report from the Kansas Highway Patrol. After a short pursuit, the vehicle came to a stop. The driver was arrested, and troopers located drugs inside the vehicle. The Patrol did not report the name of the suspect or possible charges involved.

KHP: Drug suspect captured after running from traffic stop

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a chase and arrest with a stolen vehicle.

Just before&nbsp;&nbsp;1:30 a.m. Jan. 22, a sheriff's deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a gray 2025 Ford SUV, that was recently reported stolen through the City of Topeka, near Interstate 70&nbsp; and SE Adams Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 The driver refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. The vehicle pursuit ended in the 1900 block of South Kansas Avenue and the driver fled the scene on foot. A K-9 Unit located the suspect exiting a nearby creek and wooded area. He was taken into custody without further incident.

Joshua S. Bessette, 45, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Jail on requested charges of Flee or attempt to elude; operate a stolen vehicle, Possession of stolen property; value $25,000 to $100,000 and Interference with LEO; knowingly flee by means other than motor vehicle for felony case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768950010459.png" alt="Bessette-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Bessette-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a chase and arrest with a stolen vehicle.Just before&nbsp;&nbsp;1:30 a.m. Jan. 22, a sheriff's deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a gray 2025 Ford SUV, that was recently reported stolen through the City of Topeka, near Interstate 70&nbsp; and SE Adams Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The driver refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. The vehicle pursuit ended in the 1900 block of South Kansas Avenue and the driver fled the scene on foot. A K-9 Unit located the suspect exiting a nearby creek and wooded area. He was taken into custody without further incident.Joshua S. Bessette, 45, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Jail on requested charges of Flee or attempt to elude; operate a stolen vehicle, Possession of stolen property; value $25,000 to $100,000 and Interference with LEO; knowingly flee by means other than motor vehicle for felony case.

Sheriff's K9 helps track down Kansas stolen car suspect 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-revolutionary-guard-what-to-know-australia-c6e5aa5744e6f56b04c8f251cff31733">Revolutionary Guard</a>, a force which was key in putting down recent nationwide protests in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-nationwide-scale-us-trump-0eecd9962240600150530261dfab03f2">crackdown that left thousands dead</a>, is “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger,” its commander said Saturday, as U.S. warships headed toward the Middle East.

Nournews, a news outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reported on its Telegram channel that the commander, Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, warned the United States and Israel “to avoid any miscalculation.”

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guards and dear Iran stand more ready than ever, finger on the trigger, to execute the orders and directives of the Commander-in-Chief,” Nournews quoted Pakpour as saying.

Tension remains high between Iran and the U.S. in the wake of a bloody crackdown on protests that began on Dec. 28, triggered by the collapse of Iran’s currency, the rial, and swept the country for about two weeks.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran, setting two red lines for the use of military force: the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the mass execution of people arrested in the protests.

Trump has repeatedly said Iran halted the execution of 800 people detained in the protests. He has not elaborated on the source of the claim — which Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, strongly denied Friday in comments carried by the judiciary’s Mizan news agency.

On Thursday, Trump said aboard Air Force One that the U.S. was moving warships toward Iran “just in case” he wants to take action.

“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said.

A U.S. Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements, said Thursday that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships traveling with it were in the Indian Ocean.

Trump also mentioned the multiple rounds of talks American officials had with Iran over its nuclear program before Israel launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-attack-iran-strike-nuclear-us-news-5adea3ffa51264e0c7c803d8acfde338">a 12-day war against the Islamic Republic</a>&nbsp;in June, which also saw U.S. warplanes bomb Iranian nuclear sites. He threatened Iran with military action that would make earlier U.S. strikes against Iranian uranium enrichment sites “look like peanuts.”

“They should have made a deal before we hit them,” Trump said.

The tension has led at least two European airlines to suspend some flights to the wider region.

Air France cancelled two return flights from Paris to Dubai over the weekend. The airline said it was "closely following developments in the Middle East in real time and continuously monitors the geopolitical situation in the territories served and overflown by its aircraft in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety and security.” It said it would resume its service to Dubai later Saturday.

Luxair said it had postponed its Saturday flight from Luxembourg to Dubai by 24 hours “in light of ongoing tensions and insecurity affecting the region’s airspace, and in line with measures taken by several other airlines.”

It told the AP it was closely monitoring the situation “and a decision on whether the flight will operate tomorrow will be taken based on the ongoing assessment.”

Arrivals information at Dubai’s international airport also showed the cancellation of Saturday flights from Amsterdam by Dutch carriers KLM and Transavia. The airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Some KLM flights to Tel Aviv in Israel were also canceled on Friday and Saturday, according to online flight trackers.

Although there have been no further demonstrations in Iran for days, the death toll reported by activists has continued to rise as information trickles out despite the most comprehensive internet blackout in Iran’s history, which has now lasted more than two weeks.

The U.S.-based&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-death-toll-ec00ffa50f818d4a66aec5942aec629b">Human Rights Activists News Agency</a>&nbsp;on Saturday put the death toll at 5,137, with the number expected to increase. More than 27,700 people have been arrested, it said.

The group’s figures have been accurate in previous unrest and rely on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths. That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest there in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-araghchi-trump-threat-crackdown-299375ebfd004dd6098c77a6bb8079a5">Iran’s government</a>&nbsp;offered its first death toll on Wednesday, saying 3,117 people were killed. It said 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labeled the rest as “terrorists.” In the past, Iran’s theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.

Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Samuel Petrequin in Paris, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Konstantin Toropin and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769269152543.png" alt="A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron lands at a base in the Middle East, Jan. 18.-photo U.S. Central Command&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron lands at a base in the Middle East, Jan. 18.-photo U.S. Central Command&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-revolutionary-guard-what-to-know-australia-c6e5aa5744e6f56b04c8f251cff31733">Revolutionary Guard</a>, a force which was key in putting down recent nationwide protests in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-nationwide-scale-us-trump-0eecd9962240600150530261dfab03f2">crackdown that left thousands dead</a>, is “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger,” its commander said Saturday, as U.S. warships headed toward the Middle East.Nournews, a news outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reported on its Telegram channel that the commander, Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, warned the United States and Israel “to avoid any miscalculation.”“The Islamic Revolutionary Guards and dear Iran stand more ready than ever, finger on the trigger, to execute the orders and directives of the Commander-in-Chief,” Nournews quoted Pakpour as saying.Tension remains high between Iran and the U.S. in the wake of a bloody crackdown on protests that began on Dec. 28, triggered by the collapse of Iran’s currency, the rial, and swept the country for about two weeks.<h2>Trump's warnings</h2>U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran, setting two red lines for the use of military force: the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the mass execution of people arrested in the protests.Trump has repeatedly said Iran halted the execution of 800 people detained in the protests. He has not elaborated on the source of the claim — which Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, strongly denied Friday in comments carried by the judiciary’s Mizan news agency.On Thursday, Trump said aboard Air Force One that the U.S. was moving warships toward Iran “just in case” he wants to take action.“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said.A U.S. Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements, said Thursday that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships traveling with it were in the Indian Ocean.Trump also mentioned the multiple rounds of talks American officials had with Iran over its nuclear program before Israel launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-attack-iran-strike-nuclear-us-news-5adea3ffa51264e0c7c803d8acfde338">a 12-day war against the Islamic Republic</a>&nbsp;in June, which also saw U.S. warplanes bomb Iranian nuclear sites. He threatened Iran with military action that would make earlier U.S. strikes against Iranian uranium enrichment sites “look like peanuts.”“They should have made a deal before we hit them,” Trump said.<h2>Airline jitters</h2>The tension has led at least two European airlines to suspend some flights to the wider region.Air France cancelled two return flights from Paris to Dubai over the weekend. The airline said it was "closely following developments in the Middle East in real time and continuously monitors the geopolitical situation in the territories served and overflown by its aircraft in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety and security.” It said it would resume its service to Dubai later Saturday.Luxair said it had postponed its Saturday flight from Luxembourg to Dubai by 24 hours “in light of ongoing tensions and insecurity affecting the region’s airspace, and in line with measures taken by several other airlines.”It told the AP it was closely monitoring the situation “and a decision on whether the flight will operate tomorrow will be taken based on the ongoing assessment.”Arrivals information at Dubai’s international airport also showed the cancellation of Saturday flights from Amsterdam by Dutch carriers KLM and Transavia. The airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Some KLM flights to Tel Aviv in Israel were also canceled on Friday and Saturday, according to online flight trackers.<h2>Rising death toll</h2>Although there have been no further demonstrations in Iran for days, the death toll reported by activists has continued to rise as information trickles out despite the most comprehensive internet blackout in Iran’s history, which has now lasted more than two weeks.The U.S.-based&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-death-toll-ec00ffa50f818d4a66aec5942aec629b">Human Rights Activists News Agency</a>&nbsp;on Saturday put the death toll at 5,137, with the number expected to increase. More than 27,700 people have been arrested, it said.The group’s figures have been accurate in previous unrest and rely on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths. That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest there in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-araghchi-trump-threat-crackdown-299375ebfd004dd6098c77a6bb8079a5">Iran’s government</a>&nbsp;offered its first death toll on Wednesday, saying 3,117 people were killed. It said 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labeled the rest as “terrorists.” In the past, Iran’s theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.___Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Samuel Petrequin in Paris, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Konstantin Toropin and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard commander issues warning to the US

BROWN COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 6:30p.m. on Jan. 19, Brown County dispatch received several reckless driving 911 calls on a white Cadillac Escalade on US 75 Highway, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

&nbsp; A Brown County deputy was near the location and was able to observe the vehicle cross the center line at least twice.&nbsp;&nbsp; The deputy then initiated a traffic stop on the SUV and spoke with the driver identified as 32-year-old Cassondra Smith of Falls City, Nebraska.

The deputy immediately detected the odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.&nbsp; At the conclusion of the traffic stop,&nbsp; Smith was arrested on charges of DUI and Child Endangerment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769117609372.png" alt="Smith photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Smith photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just after 6:30p.m. on Jan. 19, Brown County dispatch received several reckless driving 911 calls on a white Cadillac Escalade on US 75 Highway, according to Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp; A Brown County deputy was near the location and was able to observe the vehicle cross the center line at least twice.&nbsp;&nbsp; The deputy then initiated a traffic stop on the SUV and spoke with the driver identified as 32-year-old Cassondra Smith of Falls City, Nebraska.The deputy immediately detected the odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.&nbsp; At the conclusion of the traffic stop,&nbsp; Smith was arrested on charges of DUI and Child Endangerment.

Sheriff: Driver was smoking pot with child in the SUV

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —A federal immigration officer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-4d1499fc5962ab880f3816259e04bdbf">shot and killed a man in Minneapolis</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigidly cold streets in a city already shaken by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">another fatal shooting&nbsp;</a>weeks earlier.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said a 37-year-old man was killed but declined to identify him. He added that information about what led up to the shooting was limited. The man was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc" target="_blank">identified by his parents as Alex Jeffrey Pretti</a>, an intensive care unit nurse. The officer who shot Pretti is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran, federal officials said.

The Minnesota National Guard has been activated by Gov. Tim Walz and is assisting local police amid growing protests. Guard troops are going to both to the shooting site and to a federal building where officials have squared off with protesters daily.

The shooting happened amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a">Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good</a>, who was killed when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle. Pretti was killed just over a mile away from where Good was shot.

Bystander video obtained by AP shows details of confrontation

By&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/hannah-fingerhut">HANNAH FINGERHUT</a>

In a bystander video obtained by the AP, protesters can be heard blowing whistles and shouting profanities at agents on Nicollet Avenue.

The video shows an officer shoving a person who is wearing a brown jacket, green skirt and black tights and carrying a water bottle. That person reaches out for a man and the two link up, embracing.

The man, wearing a brown jacket and black hat, seems to be holding his phone up toward the officer.

The same officer shoves the man in his chest and the two, still embracing, fall back.

The video then shifts to a different part of the street and then comes back to the two individuals unlinking from each other. The video shifts focus again and then shows three officers surrounding the man.

Soon at least seven officers surround the man. One is on the man’s back and another who appears to have a cannister in his hand strikes a blow to the man’s chest. Several officers try to bring the man’s arms behind his back as he appears to resist. As they pull his arms, his face is briefly visible on camera. The officer with the cannister strikes the man near his head several times.

A shot rings out, but with officers surrounding the man, it’s not clear from where the shot came. Multiple officers back off of the man after the shot. More shots are heard. Officers back away and the man lies motionless on the street.

Defense Secretary says ICE is greater than Minnesota

By<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-l-price">MICHELLE L. PRICE</a>

Pete Hegseth posted on the social platform X to thank God for the “patriots” who work for ICE and said, “we have your back 100%.”

The Pentagon chief added: “Shame on the leadership of Minnesota — and the lunatics in the street. ICE &gt; MN.”

Hegseth was born and raised in Minnesota.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —The man who was shot and killed by a federal officer during an immigration operation has been identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti. His parents told The Associated Press that Pretti was an intensive care unit nurse.

Trump weighs in on the shooting in Minneapolis

Trump posted to his Truth Social account after a man was killed by federal officers during an immigration enforcement action in Minneapolis. Trump's statement said:

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do! Why does Ilhan Omar have $34 Million Dollars in her account? And where are the Tens of Billions of Dollars that have been stolen from the once Great State of Minnesota? 

We are there because of massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy. We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW. Those Fraudsters who stole the money are going to jail, where they belong! This is no different than a really big Bank Robbery. Much of what you’re witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud.

"The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric! Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America. LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!””

DHS says officers fired “defensive shots”

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that federal officers were conducting an operation as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-renee-good-immigration-sweeps-6ae64be5a0d6a718b658a938fb56e567">Trump administration’s immigration crackdown</a>.

She said officers fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached them and “violently resisted” when officers tried to disarm him. O’Hara said police believe the man was a “lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.”

Police chief says man shot and killed was a ‘lawful gun owner’

O’Hara said the man’s only previous interaction with law enforcement as far as he knew was for traffic tickets.

"And we believe he is a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry,” he said.

Police chief asks public, law enforcement to remain calm

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara appealed for calm, both from the public and from federal law enforcement, following the shooting of a man.

“Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands,” the chief said.

“We urge everyone to remain peaceful. We recognize that there is a lot of anger and a lot of questions around what has happened, but we need people to remain peaceful in the area.”

Police also clarified that the age of the man shot is 37.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal immigration officers shot and killed a man Saturday in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters in a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier.

The details surrounding the shooting weren’t immediately clear, but Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the person was shot amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said a 37-year-old man was killed.

He urged people to remain peaceful and not to destroy the city after federal immigration officers shot and killed a man Saturday in Minneapolis.

O’Hara said there was limited information about the shooting. He called on people to leave the area and said it’s “not sustainable.”

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the AP in a text messages that the person had a firearm with two magazines and that the situation was “evolving.” DHS also distributed a photo of a handgun they said was on the person who was shot.

The shooting happened amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a">Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good</a>, who was killed when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle. Saturday's shooting unfolded just over a mile away from where Good was shot.

After the shooting, an angry crowd gathered and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them “cowards” and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: “Boo hoo.” Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car. Protesters dragged garbage dumpsters from alleyways to block the streets, and people who gathered chanted, “ICE out now,” referring to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

“They’re killing my neighbors!” said Minneapolis resident Josh Koskie.

Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash bangs on the crowd.

Walz, a Democrat, said in a social media post he had been in contact with the White House. He urged President Donald Trump to end what the Department of Homeland Security has called its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-ice-noem-minnesota-somali-db661df6de1131a034da2bda4bb3d817">largest-ever immigration enforcement operation</a>.

“Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now,” Walz said in a post on X.

The shooting happened a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-immigration-protest-unions-faith-leaders-edc6c4884f8cc26be9ad34a28d82a7a5">thousands of demonstrators</a>&nbsp;protesting the crackdown on immigrants crowded the city’s streets in frigid weather, calling for federal law enforcement to leave.

The age of the man who was shot has been corrected to 37, per information from the police chief. The AP previously reported his age as 51 based on a hospital record.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A 37-year-old man who was shot Saturday by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis has died, a hospital record obtained by The Associated Press shows.

The person was shot amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said. The details surrounding the shooting weren’t immediately clear.

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the AP in a text messages that the person had a firearm with two magazines and that the situation was “evolving.”

Walz, a Democrat, said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He urged President Donald Trump to end what the Department of Homeland Security has called its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-ice-noem-minnesota-somali-db661df6de1131a034da2bda4bb3d817">largest-ever immigration enforcement operation</a>.

DHS distributed a photo of a handgun they said was on the person who was shot.

After the shooting, an angry crowd gathered and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them “cowards” and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: “Boo hoo.” Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car.

The intersection where the shooting has been blocked off, and Border Patrol agents are on the scene wielding batons.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A 51-year-old man shot Saturday by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis has died, a hospital record obtained by The Associated Press shows.

The person was shot amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Gov. Tim Walz said. The details surrounding the shooting weren’t immediately clear. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the AP in a text messages that the person had a firearm with two magazines and that the situation was “evolving.”

The shooting happened amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a">Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good</a>, who was killed when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal officers shot another person in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday.

Walz, a Democrat, said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He called on the President Donald Trump to end the crackdown in his state. The details surrounding the shooting weren’t immediately clear.

After the shooting, bystanders gathered and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them “cowards” and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: “Boo hoo.” Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car.

The shooting came amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a">Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good</a>, who was killed when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle.

It also comes a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-immigration-protest-unions-faith-leaders-edc6c4884f8cc26be9ad34a28d82a7a5">thousands of demonstrators</a>&nbsp;protesting the crackdown on immigrants crowded the city’s streets in frigid weather, calling for federal law enforcement to leave.

🎥Federal immigration officer shot and killed a man in Minneapolis

DOUGLAS COUNTY – After a nearly 4-hour city-wide search, Lawrence Kansas Police officers arrested a man they suspect went to an apartment, knocked on the door, then shot another man at the entrance, according to a media release from Lawrence Police.

Just before noon Friday, police were called to the Hawks Point apartments on Lynch Court. Responding officers found the victim and others at the scene. They identified a suspect and gained a description of the vehicle he took off in. The victim was reported in critical condition.

The search led them to a home at 4th and Minnesota, where police believe the suspect left the car he was traveling in and took off again.

Officers with the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Douglas County Sheriff’s office assisted in following dozens of leads throughout the city, including a city bus and several other public locations where people may have noticed a police presence. None resulted in finding the suspect.

An officer eventually identified another car associated with the suspect traveling near 6th and Iowa and followed the car while additional officers moved in.

The team conducted a traffic stop as the car turned into a neighborhood near Kasold and Peterson. Three individuals were in the car, including the suspect. All surrendered without incident.

Everyone involved is being questioned. The suspect will ultimately be transported to the Douglas County Correctional Facility as the shooting investigation continues.

DOUGLAS COUNTY – After a nearly 4-hour city-wide search, Lawrence Kansas Police officers arrested a man they suspect went to an apartment, knocked on the door, then shot another man at the entrance, according to a media release from Lawrence Police.Just before noon Friday, police were called to the Hawks Point apartments on Lynch Court. Responding officers found the victim and others at the scene. They identified a suspect and gained a description of the vehicle he took off in. The victim was reported in critical condition.The search led them to a home at 4th and Minnesota, where police believe the suspect left the car he was traveling in and took off again.Officers with the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Douglas County Sheriff’s office assisted in following dozens of leads throughout the city, including a city bus and several other public locations where people may have noticed a police presence. None resulted in finding the suspect.An officer eventually identified another car associated with the suspect traveling near 6th and Iowa and followed the car while additional officers moved in.The team conducted a traffic stop as the car turned into a neighborhood near Kasold and Peterson. Three individuals were in the car, including the suspect. All surrendered without incident.Everyone involved is being questioned. The suspect will ultimately be transported to the Douglas County Correctional Facility as the shooting investigation continues.

Kansas shooting suspect captured after 4-hour, city-wide search 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Colorado man is going to prison for for a crash that killed an 82-year-old Kansas woman.

On Thursday, Judge Seth Rundell sentenced 26-year-old Austin Hedges to 31 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. His time in prison will be folowed by 24 months of post release supervision.

In November Hedges pleaded guilty to charges of reckless involuntary manslaughter in the death of Kathy Knorr, according to the District Attorney's office.

On March 16, 2024, a vehicle driven by Hedges was northbound on Rock Road in Wichita and struck a vehicle driven by Knorr who was turning from Killarney Court onto southbound Rock Road, according to Wichita Police.

EMS transported Knorr to a local hospital. She died on March 30.&nbsp; The Weld County Colorado Sheriff arrested Hedges on April 19 and he was returned to Kansas to face charges.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762796790240.png" alt="Kathy Knorr photo Corzine Memorial Group" />
 <figcaption>Kathy Knorr photo Corzine Memorial Group</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Colorado man is going to prison for for a crash that killed an 82-year-old Kansas woman.On Thursday, Judge Seth Rundell sentenced 26-year-old Austin Hedges to 31 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. His time in prison will be folowed by 24 months of post release supervision.In November Hedges pleaded guilty to charges of reckless involuntary manslaughter in the death of Kathy Knorr, according to the District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769166983378.png" alt="Hedges photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Hedges photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>On March 16, 2024, a vehicle driven by Hedges was northbound on Rock Road in Wichita and struck a vehicle driven by Knorr who was turning from Killarney Court onto southbound Rock Road, according to Wichita Police.EMS transported Knorr to a local hospital. She died on March 30.&nbsp; The Weld County Colorado Sheriff arrested Hedges on April 19 and he was returned to Kansas to face charges.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Prison for crash that killed 82-year-old Kansas woman

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-des-moines-superintendent-ian-roberts-ice-b02b600b1bb8ba51d2d6a4f60d543f0e">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;Thursday, and admitted to falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on a federal form and illegally possessing firearms.

Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America, had initially pleaded not guilty to both counts, which together carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a trial was scheduled to begin in early March. Roberts is aware he could face deportation after he serves his sentence, according to the plea agreement he signed Wednesday.

Roberts ascended as an exuberant and inspiring leader over a two-decade career in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d11c6bc49815e2655b758fb8497bb23e">urban education</a>. For two years, he was superintendent of the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.

Just weeks into a new school year, Roberts was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-des-moines-superintendent-ian-roberts-b52a9ea28d002d27832c67513403368e">detained by federal immigration officers</a>. The Sept. 26 arrest stunned community members and drew national attention to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ian-roberts-ice-superintendent-lawsuit-iowa-b93f7c426b90a2e805d71f914707ce2d">history of criminal charges</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ian-roberts-superintendent-ice-doctorate-d719dac9a6cffd5b8dc93725441fdebc">falsified credentials</a>.

As part of Roberts’ plea agreement, prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa agreed to not pursue additional charges against Roberts or others related to these counts, according to the filing. Prosecutors also agreed to recommend some leniency, but Roberts’ sentence is ultimately up to the judge.

In a targeted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, Roberts was pulled over in his school-issued Jeep Cherokee and allegedly fled from federal agents. They later found the car abandoned near a wooded area and located Roberts with the help of state troopers. Authorities said a loaded handgun was wrapped in a towel under the seat and there was $3,000 in cash in the car.

A federal grand jury in October returned a two-count indictment. According to the plea agreement, Roberts admits he knowingly and intentionally made a “false attestation” that he was a U.S. citizen on the Employment Eligibility Verification form, known as an I-9, that he submitted in Des Moines. That carries a punishment of up to five years in prison and a fine.

Roberts also faces a federal weapons charge, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine. In addition to the one in his vehicle when he was arrested, a second pistol, a rifle and a shotgun were found during a search of Roberts’ home, authorities said.

Roberts will forfeit the weapons, according to the agreement.

Phil Roeder, a spokesperson for Des Moines Public Schools, declined to comment on Roberts’ legal proceedings. The district’s focus “remains on serving the educational needs of students,” he said in a statement.

Roberts completed the I-9 form when he was hired in 2023 and submitted a Social Security card and driver’s license as verifying documents, according to the district. He also stated he was a U.S. citizen in his application to the state board of educational examiners, which issued Roberts a professional administrator license in 2023.

Roberts was subject to a notice to appear before an immigration judge in October 2020, just months before his work authorization was set to expire, and a final removal order in 2024, authorities said. District officials said they were not aware of the immigration issues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758925503158.png" alt="This photo provided by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows Ian Roberts in February 2020." />
 <figcaption>This photo provided by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows Ian Roberts in February 2020.</figcaption>
 </figure>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-des-moines-superintendent-ian-roberts-ice-b02b600b1bb8ba51d2d6a4f60d543f0e">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;Thursday, and admitted to falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on a federal form and illegally possessing firearms.Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America, had initially pleaded not guilty to both counts, which together carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a trial was scheduled to begin in early March. Roberts is aware he could face deportation after he serves his sentence, according to the plea agreement he signed Wednesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758925645393.png" alt="Roberts Photo from September 26, 2025- image ICE" />
 <figcaption>Roberts Photo from September 26, 2025- image ICE</figcaption>
 </figure>Roberts ascended as an exuberant and inspiring leader over a two-decade career in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d11c6bc49815e2655b758fb8497bb23e">urban education</a>. For two years, he was superintendent of the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.Just weeks into a new school year, Roberts was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-des-moines-superintendent-ian-roberts-b52a9ea28d002d27832c67513403368e">detained by federal immigration officers</a>. The Sept. 26 arrest stunned community members and drew national attention to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ian-roberts-ice-superintendent-lawsuit-iowa-b93f7c426b90a2e805d71f914707ce2d">history of criminal charges</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ian-roberts-superintendent-ice-doctorate-d719dac9a6cffd5b8dc93725441fdebc">falsified credentials</a>.As part of Roberts’ plea agreement, prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa agreed to not pursue additional charges against Roberts or others related to these counts, according to the filing. Prosecutors also agreed to recommend some leniency, but Roberts’ sentence is ultimately up to the judge.In a targeted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, Roberts was pulled over in his school-issued Jeep Cherokee and allegedly fled from federal agents. They later found the car abandoned near a wooded area and located Roberts with the help of state troopers. Authorities said a loaded handgun was wrapped in a towel under the seat and there was $3,000 in cash in the car.A federal grand jury in October returned a two-count indictment. According to the plea agreement, Roberts admits he knowingly and intentionally made a “false attestation” that he was a U.S. citizen on the Employment Eligibility Verification form, known as an I-9, that he submitted in Des Moines. That carries a punishment of up to five years in prison and a fine.Roberts also faces a federal weapons charge, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine. In addition to the one in his vehicle when he was arrested, a second pistol, a rifle and a shotgun were found during a search of Roberts’ home, authorities said.Roberts will forfeit the weapons, according to the agreement.Phil Roeder, a spokesperson for Des Moines Public Schools, declined to comment on Roberts’ legal proceedings. The district’s focus “remains on serving the educational needs of students,” he said in a statement.Roberts completed the I-9 form when he was hired in 2023 and submitted a Social Security card and driver’s license as verifying documents, according to the district. He also stated he was a U.S. citizen in his application to the state board of educational examiners, which issued Roberts a professional administrator license in 2023.Roberts was subject to a notice to appear before an immigration judge in October 2020, just months before his work authorization was set to expire, and a final removal order in 2024, authorities said. District officials said they were not aware of the immigration issues.

Leader of Iowa’s largest public school district admits falsely claiming US citizenship

RILEY COUNTY –&nbsp; The Riley County Police Department seized significant quantities of illegal drugs during proactive investigations conducted throughout the last 30 days as part of ongoing efforts to combat drug-related crime in the community, according to a media release from the RCPD.

RCPD officers and detectives seized a variety of illegal substances, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana, along with drug paraphernalia and other evidence related to drug distribution in Riley County.

In all, nearly 2 pounds of fentanyl powder was seized and more than 200 grams of methamphetamine, 96 grams of heroin, 8 grams of cocaine, and more than 100 pills of various controlled prescription drugs. In addition to the controlled substances, five handguns were seized during the investigations.

“Thanks to the hard work of our officers and detectives, RCPD has identified and arrested individuals who have sold a significant amount of deadly illegal narcotics throughout our community,” RCPD Director Brian Peete said. 

“Illegal drugs destroy lives and families, and it is one of our biggest priority focuses. I would also like to thank the people of Riley County for their diligence in reporting illegal activities and their zero tolerance for illegal drugs.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608245358476.png" alt="Photo DEA" />
 <figcaption>Photo DEA</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY –&nbsp; The Riley County Police Department seized significant quantities of illegal drugs during proactive investigations conducted throughout the last 30 days as part of ongoing efforts to combat drug-related crime in the community, according to a media release from the RCPD.RCPD officers and detectives seized a variety of illegal substances, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana, along with drug paraphernalia and other evidence related to drug distribution in Riley County.In all, nearly 2 pounds of fentanyl powder was seized and more than 200 grams of methamphetamine, 96 grams of heroin, 8 grams of cocaine, and more than 100 pills of various controlled prescription drugs. In addition to the controlled substances, five handguns were seized during the investigations.“Thanks to the hard work of our officers and detectives, RCPD has identified and arrested individuals who have sold a significant amount of deadly illegal narcotics throughout our community,” RCPD Director Brian Peete said. “Illegal drugs destroy lives and families, and it is one of our biggest priority focuses. I would also like to thank the people of Riley County for their diligence in reporting illegal activities and their zero tolerance for illegal drugs.”

RCPD seized fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and more over the past month

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on multiple allegations after a drug bust in Brown County.

Just after 8p.m. on Jan. 18, a sheriff's deputy responded to a&nbsp; call of a domestic disturbance in Fairview, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp; 

&nbsp;Upon arrival and after the initial investigation, a search warrant was then approved for the residence at 114 W. Front Street.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 At the conclusion of the warrant, 69-year-old Jane Teske of Fairview was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Obstruction.

&nbsp; Robert Hobbs, 50, of Fairview was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Obstruction.&nbsp;

Yvette Ward, 56, Pawnee City Nebraska was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth and Possession of DrugParaphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769117200424.png" alt="Ward-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Ward-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on multiple allegations after a drug bust in Brown County.Just after 8p.m. on Jan. 18, a sheriff's deputy responded to a&nbsp; call of a domestic disturbance in Fairview, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp; &nbsp;Upon arrival and after the initial investigation, a search warrant was then approved for the residence at 114 W. Front Street.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769117237605.png" alt="Teske photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Teske photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure> At the conclusion of the warrant, 69-year-old Jane Teske of Fairview was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Obstruction.&nbsp; Robert Hobbs, 50, of Fairview was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Obstruction.&nbsp;Yvette Ward, 56, Pawnee City Nebraska was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth and Possession of DrugParaphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sheriff: Domestic disturbance led to drug bust at Kan. home

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A prominent civil rights attorney and at least two other people involved in an anti-immigration enforcement protest that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protest-church-minneapolis-fcc97a29b9c4434c665d76d4811c5a3e">disrupted a service</a>&nbsp;at a Minnesota church have been arrested, Trump administration officials said Thursday, even as a judge rebuffed related charges against journalist Don Lemon.

The developments unfolded as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-ice-minneapolis-deportations-trump-economy-002f1d1acf05c00aeee289ec192100e7">Vice President JD Vance</a>&nbsp;arrived in the state. Speaking in Minneapolis, he urged state and local law enforcement to collaborate with federal officials and said protesters must stop getting in their way.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong in a post on X. On Sunday, protesters entered the Cities Church in St. Paul, where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor. Bondi later posted on X that a second person had been arrested, followed by a third arrest announced by FBI Director Kash Patel.

The Justice Department quickly opened a civil rights investigation after the group interrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good," referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">37-year-old mother of three</a>&nbsp;who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis earlier this month.

“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP," the attorney general wrote on X.

Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors as David Easterwood, who leads the local ICE field office. Many Baptist churches have pastors who also work other jobs.

Prominent leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have come to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protest-church-minneapolis-fcc97a29b9c4434c665d76d4811c5a3e">the church’s defense</a>, arguing that compassion for migrant families affected by the crackdown cannot justify violating a sacred space during worship.

Attorneys representing the church hailed the arrests.

“The U.S. Department of Justice acted decisively by arresting those who coordinated and carried out the terrible crime,” said Doug Wardlow, director of litigation for True North Legal, which calls itself a public interest civil rights firm, in a statement.

Levy Armstrong, an attorney and prominent local activist, had called for the pastor affiliated with ICE to resign, saying his dual role poses a “fundamental moral conflict.”

“You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have cost lives and inflicted fear in our communities,” she said Tuesday. “When officials protect armed agents, repeatedly refuse meaningful investigation into killings like Renee Good’s, and signal they may pursue peaceful protesters and journalists, that is not justice — it is intimidation.”

Vance wants local law enforcement to assist federal officers

Vance, a Republican, arrived amid tense interactions between federal immigration law enforcement authorities and residents. State and local elected officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-renee-good-immigration-sweeps-6ae64be5a0d6a718b658a938fb56e567">have opposed the crackdown</a>&nbsp;that has become a major focus of Department of Homeland Security sweeps.

His visit comes less than a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-crackdown-woman-shot-5158ce0838305b491c95db97b970cd03">Renee Good was killed</a>. He has called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-minnesota-immigration-enforcement-06b23b428edcc8498362be4ac656f201">Good’s death</a>&nbsp;a “tragedy of her own making.”

Speaking in Toledo, Ohio, before his Minnesota visit, Vance warned the church protesters: “Those people are going to be sent to prison so long as we have the power to do so. We’re going to do everything we can to enforce the law."

Later in Minneapolis, he urged state and city law enforcement to help the federal immigration officers.

“We’re doing everything that we can to lower the temperature,” Vance said, adding that he wants “state and local officials to meet us halfway.”

A longtime activist in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Levy Armstrong has helped lead local protests after the high-profile police-involved killings of Black Americans, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/video-minneapolis-immigration-good-ice-george-floyd-9dc5b1f19af644f861963f0a041516f4">George Floyd,</a>&nbsp;Philando&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/philando-castile">Castile</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51873689cf63426c89e78ae987479315">Jamar Clark.</a>&nbsp;She is a former president of the NAACP’s Minneapolis branch.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a photo on X of Levy Armstrong with her arms behind her back next to a person wearing a badge. Noem said she faces a charge under a statute that bars threatening or intimidating someone exercising a right.

Patel posted on X that Chauntyll Louisa Allen, the second person Bondi said was arrested, is charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits physically obstructing or using the threat of force to intimidate or interfere with a person seeking reproductive health services or seeking to participate in a service at a house of worship. Patel said William Kelly has also been arrested.

It's unclear which attorneys would represent Allen and Kelly.

Saint Paul Public Schools, where Allen is a member of the board of education, is aware of her arrest but will not comment on pending legal matters, according to district spokesperson Erica Wacker.

Allen and Levy Armstrong are part of a community of Black Minnesota activists who have protested the deaths of African Americans at the hands of police.

Kelly defended the protest during a news conference Tuesday, criticizing the church for its association with a pastor who works for ICE.

In court Thursday, federal magistrate judge Doug Micko granted the women bond and restricted them from traveling outside Minnesota or from going near the church. The government said it would appeal.

Levy-Armstrong’s attorney said he offered for her to turn herself in peacefully, but the Trump administration insisted on arresting her.

“They wanted a spectacle,” Levy-Armstrong’s husband Marques Armstrong said, recalling around 50 agents came to detain his wife.

Arrests follow a DOJ civil rights investigation

The Justice Department’s swift investigation into the church protest stands in contrast to its decision not to open a civil rights investigation into the killing of Good. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said last week there was “no basis” for a civil rights investigation into her death.

Administration officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-crackdown-woman-shot-5158ce0838305b491c95db97b970cd03">have said the officer acted in self-defense</a>&nbsp;and that the driver of the Honda was engaging in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-minnesota-immigration-enforcement-06b23b428edcc8498362be4ac656f201">“an act of domestic terrorism”</a>&nbsp;when she pulled toward him. But the decision not to have the department’s Civil Rights Division investigate marked a sharp departure from past administrations, which have moved quickly to probe shootings of civilians by law enforcement officials.

The Justice Department has separately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-crackdown-trump-5e2f40582b62687fd9bc70640382f034">opened an investigation</a>&nbsp;into whether Minnesota officials impeded or obstructed federal immigration enforcement though their public statements. Prosecutors this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-crackdown-trump-5e2f40582b62687fd9bc70640382f034">sent subpoenas</a>&nbsp;to the offices of Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and officials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties, according to a person familiar with the matter.

A magistrate judge rejected federal prosecutors’ bid to charge journalist Don Lemon related to the church protest, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation.

Lemon was among those on who entered the church. Lemon has said he is not affiliated with the protest organizers and was there chronicling as a journalist.

“Once the protest started in the church we did an act of journalism which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization,” Lemon said in a video posted on social media. “That’s it. That’s called journalism.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what the Justice Department would do after the judge’s decision. Authorities could return to a magistrate judge to again seek a criminal complaint or an indictment against Lemon before a grand jury.

CNN, which fired Lemon in 2023, first reported the ruling.

Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Chris Megerian in Washington; Corey Williams in Detroit; Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota; and Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A prominent civil rights attorney and at least two other people involved in an anti-immigration enforcement protest that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protest-church-minneapolis-fcc97a29b9c4434c665d76d4811c5a3e">disrupted a service</a>&nbsp;at a Minnesota church have been arrested, Trump administration officials said Thursday, even as a judge rebuffed related charges against journalist Don Lemon.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ok ✅ <a href="https://t.co/tQZNbKFABA">pic.twitter.com/tQZNbKFABA</a>&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2014400940523069618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">William Kelly is being charged with conspiracy to deprive rights, a federal crime, for his involvement in the St. Paul church riots. <a href="https://t.co/cXuuvQ9zxR">pic.twitter.com/cXuuvQ9zxR</a>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2014410433281622347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The developments unfolded as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-ice-minneapolis-deportations-trump-economy-002f1d1acf05c00aeee289ec192100e7">Vice President JD Vance</a>&nbsp;arrived in the state. Speaking in Minneapolis, he urged state and local law enforcement to collaborate with federal officials and said protesters must stop getting in their way.Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong in a post on X. On Sunday, protesters entered the Cities Church in St. Paul, where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor. Bondi later posted on X that a second person had been arrested, followed by a third arrest announced by FBI Director Kash Patel.The Justice Department quickly opened a civil rights investigation after the group interrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good," referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">37-year-old mother of three</a>&nbsp;who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis earlier this month.“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP," the attorney general wrote on X.Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors as David Easterwood, who leads the local ICE field office. Many Baptist churches have pastors who also work other jobs.<h2>Church lawyers praise the arrests</h2>Prominent leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have come to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protest-church-minneapolis-fcc97a29b9c4434c665d76d4811c5a3e">the church’s defense</a>, arguing that compassion for migrant families affected by the crackdown cannot justify violating a sacred space during worship.Attorneys representing the church hailed the arrests.“The U.S. Department of Justice acted decisively by arresting those who coordinated and carried out the terrible crime,” said Doug Wardlow, director of litigation for True North Legal, which calls itself a public interest civil rights firm, in a statement.Levy Armstrong, an attorney and prominent local activist, had called for the pastor affiliated with ICE to resign, saying his dual role poses a “fundamental moral conflict.”“You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have cost lives and inflicted fear in our communities,” she said Tuesday. “When officials protect armed agents, repeatedly refuse meaningful investigation into killings like Renee Good’s, and signal they may pursue peaceful protesters and journalists, that is not justice — it is intimidation.”<h2>Vance wants local law enforcement to assist federal officers</h2>Vance, a Republican, arrived amid tense interactions between federal immigration law enforcement authorities and residents. State and local elected officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-renee-good-immigration-sweeps-6ae64be5a0d6a718b658a938fb56e567">have opposed the crackdown</a>&nbsp;that has become a major focus of Department of Homeland Security sweeps.His visit comes less than a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-crackdown-woman-shot-5158ce0838305b491c95db97b970cd03">Renee Good was killed</a>. He has called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-minnesota-immigration-enforcement-06b23b428edcc8498362be4ac656f201">Good’s death</a>&nbsp;a “tragedy of her own making.”Speaking in Toledo, Ohio, before his Minnesota visit, Vance warned the church protesters: “Those people are going to be sent to prison so long as we have the power to do so. We’re going to do everything we can to enforce the law."Later in Minneapolis, he urged state and city law enforcement to help the federal immigration officers.“We’re doing everything that we can to lower the temperature,” Vance said, adding that he wants “state and local officials to meet us halfway.”<h2>Protesters appear in court</h2>A longtime activist in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Levy Armstrong has helped lead local protests after the high-profile police-involved killings of Black Americans, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/video-minneapolis-immigration-good-ice-george-floyd-9dc5b1f19af644f861963f0a041516f4">George Floyd,</a>&nbsp;Philando&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/philando-castile">Castile</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51873689cf63426c89e78ae987479315">Jamar Clark.</a>&nbsp;She is a former president of the NAACP’s Minneapolis branch.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a photo on X of Levy Armstrong with her arms behind her back next to a person wearing a badge. Noem said she faces a charge under a statute that bars threatening or intimidating someone exercising a right.Patel posted on X that Chauntyll Louisa Allen, the second person Bondi said was arrested, is charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits physically obstructing or using the threat of force to intimidate or interfere with a person seeking reproductive health services or seeking to participate in a service at a house of worship. Patel said William Kelly has also been arrested.It's unclear which attorneys would represent Allen and Kelly.Saint Paul Public Schools, where Allen is a member of the board of education, is aware of her arrest but will not comment on pending legal matters, according to district spokesperson Erica Wacker.Allen and Levy Armstrong are part of a community of Black Minnesota activists who have protested the deaths of African Americans at the hands of police.Kelly defended the protest during a news conference Tuesday, criticizing the church for its association with a pastor who works for ICE.In court Thursday, federal magistrate judge Doug Micko granted the women bond and restricted them from traveling outside Minnesota or from going near the church. The government said it would appeal.Levy-Armstrong’s attorney said he offered for her to turn herself in peacefully, but the Trump administration insisted on arresting her.“They wanted a spectacle,” Levy-Armstrong’s husband Marques Armstrong said, recalling around 50 agents came to detain his wife.<h2>Arrests follow a DOJ civil rights investigation</h2>The Justice Department’s swift investigation into the church protest stands in contrast to its decision not to open a civil rights investigation into the killing of Good. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said last week there was “no basis” for a civil rights investigation into her death.Administration officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-crackdown-woman-shot-5158ce0838305b491c95db97b970cd03">have said the officer acted in self-defense</a>&nbsp;and that the driver of the Honda was engaging in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-minnesota-immigration-enforcement-06b23b428edcc8498362be4ac656f201">“an act of domestic terrorism”</a>&nbsp;when she pulled toward him. But the decision not to have the department’s Civil Rights Division investigate marked a sharp departure from past administrations, which have moved quickly to probe shootings of civilians by law enforcement officials.The Justice Department has separately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-crackdown-trump-5e2f40582b62687fd9bc70640382f034">opened an investigation</a>&nbsp;into whether Minnesota officials impeded or obstructed federal immigration enforcement though their public statements. Prosecutors this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-crackdown-trump-5e2f40582b62687fd9bc70640382f034">sent subpoenas</a>&nbsp;to the offices of Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and officials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties, according to a person familiar with the matter.<h2>Judge rejects charges against Lemon</h2>A magistrate judge rejected federal prosecutors’ bid to charge journalist Don Lemon related to the church protest, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation.Lemon was among those on who entered the church. Lemon has said he is not affiliated with the protest organizers and was there chronicling as a journalist.“Once the protest started in the church we did an act of journalism which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization,” Lemon said in a video posted on social media. “That’s it. That’s called journalism.”It wasn’t immediately clear what the Justice Department would do after the judge’s decision. Authorities could return to a magistrate judge to again seek a criminal complaint or an indictment against Lemon before a grand jury.CNN, which fired Lemon in 2023, first reported the ruling.___Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Chris Megerian in Washington; Corey Williams in Detroit; Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota; and Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed.

FBI arrests 3 protesters who disrupted Minnesota church service

Kansas Republican Congressmen Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Derek Schmidt voted against the resolution.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House rejected a Democratic-backed resolution Thursday that would have prevented&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;from sending U.S. military forces to Venezuela after a tied vote on the legislation fell just short of the majority needed for passage.

The tied vote was the latest sign of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s tenuous hold on the majority, as well as some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-republicans-trump-greenland-denmark-28252fc0691a183f52d3c4a77369457b">growing pushback</a>&nbsp;in the GOP-controlled Congress to Trump’s aggressions in the Western Hemisphere. A Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-senate-war-powers-2350b162d116090759a7428c4b915eea">vote on a similar resolution</a>&nbsp;was also tied last week until Vice President JD Vance broke the deadlock.

To defeat the resolution Thursday, Republican leaders had to hold the vote open for more than 20 minutes while Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt, who had been out of state all week campaigning for a Senate seat in Texas, rushed back to Capitol Hill.

On the House floor, Democrats responded with shouts that Republican leaders were violating the chamber’s procedural moves. Two Republicans — Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted with all Democrats for the legislation.

The war powers resolution would have directed Trump to remove U.S. troops from Venezuela. The Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-senate-war-powers-2350b162d116090759a7428c4b915eea">told senators last week</a>&nbsp;that there are no U.S. troops on the ground in Venezuela and committed to getting congressional approval before launching major military operations there.

But Democrats argued that the resolution is necessary after the U.S. raid to capture Venezuelan leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-trump-military-operation-85041a1ec03bafe839b785a95169d694">Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;and since Trump has stated plans to control the country’s oil industry for years to come.

Thursday’s vote was the latest test in Congress of how much leeway Republicans will give a president who campaigned on removing the U.S. from foreign entanglements but has increasingly reached for military options to impose his will in the Western Hemisphere. So far, almost all Republicans have declined to put checks on Trump through the war powers votes.

Rep. Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee, accused Democrats of bringing the war powers resolution to a vote out of “spite” for Trump.

“It’s about the fact that you don’t want President Trump to arrest Maduro, and you will condemn him no matter what he does, even though he brought Maduro to justice with possibly the most successful law enforcement operation in history,” Mast added.

Still, Democrats stridently argued that Congress needs to assert its role in determining when the president can use wartime powers. They have been able to force a series of votes in both the House and Senate as Trump in recent months ramped up his campaign against Maduro and set his sights on other conflicts overseas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769122743381.png" alt="File photo House Speaker Mike Johnson" />
 <figcaption>File photo House Speaker Mike Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kansas Republican Congressmen Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Derek Schmidt voted against the resolution.</h2>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House rejected a Democratic-backed resolution Thursday that would have prevented&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;from sending U.S. military forces to Venezuela after a tied vote on the legislation fell just short of the majority needed for passage.The tied vote was the latest sign of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s tenuous hold on the majority, as well as some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-republicans-trump-greenland-denmark-28252fc0691a183f52d3c4a77369457b">growing pushback</a>&nbsp;in the GOP-controlled Congress to Trump’s aggressions in the Western Hemisphere. A Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-senate-war-powers-2350b162d116090759a7428c4b915eea">vote on a similar resolution</a>&nbsp;was also tied last week until Vice President JD Vance broke the deadlock.To defeat the resolution Thursday, Republican leaders had to hold the vote open for more than 20 minutes while Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt, who had been out of state all week campaigning for a Senate seat in Texas, rushed back to Capitol Hill.On the House floor, Democrats responded with shouts that Republican leaders were violating the chamber’s procedural moves. Two Republicans — Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted with all Democrats for the legislation.The war powers resolution would have directed Trump to remove U.S. troops from Venezuela. The Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-senate-war-powers-2350b162d116090759a7428c4b915eea">told senators last week</a>&nbsp;that there are no U.S. troops on the ground in Venezuela and committed to getting congressional approval before launching major military operations there.But Democrats argued that the resolution is necessary after the U.S. raid to capture Venezuelan leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-trump-military-operation-85041a1ec03bafe839b785a95169d694">Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;and since Trump has stated plans to control the country’s oil industry for years to come.Thursday’s vote was the latest test in Congress of how much leeway Republicans will give a president who campaigned on removing the U.S. from foreign entanglements but has increasingly reached for military options to impose his will in the Western Hemisphere. So far, almost all Republicans have declined to put checks on Trump through the war powers votes.Rep. Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee, accused Democrats of bringing the war powers resolution to a vote out of “spite” for Trump.“It’s about the fact that you don’t want President Trump to arrest Maduro, and you will condemn him no matter what he does, even though he brought Maduro to justice with possibly the most successful law enforcement operation in history,” Mast added.Still, Democrats stridently argued that Congress needs to assert its role in determining when the president can use wartime powers. They have been able to force a series of votes in both the House and Senate as Trump in recent months ramped up his campaign against Maduro and set his sights on other conflicts overseas.“Donald Trump is reducing the United States to a regional bully with fewer allies and more enemies,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during a floor debate. “This isn’t making America great again. It’s making us isolated and weak.”Last week, Senate Republicans were only able to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-senate-war-powers-2350b162d116090759a7428c4b915eea">narrowly dismiss</a>&nbsp;a Venezuela war powers resolution after the Trump administration persuaded two Republicans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-war-powers-venezuela-trump-maduro-greenland-e1c5c8390eb2331779504b710fe85025">back away from their earlier support</a>. As part of that effort, Secretary of State Marco Rubio committed to a briefing next week before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.<h2>The response to Trump’s foreign policy</h2>When the House voted on a similar Venezuela war powers resolution last month, three Republican House members — Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has since resigned from Congress — joined Democrats in voting for the legislation. Trump has since carried out the attack on Venezuela to seize Maduro, as well as turned his ambitions to possessing Greenland.Trump’s insistence that the U.S. will possess Greenland over the objections of Denmark, a NATO ally, has alarmed some Republicans on Capitol Hill. They have mounted some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-republicans-trump-greenland-denmark-28252fc0691a183f52d3c4a77369457b">most outspoken objections</a>&nbsp;to almost anything the president has done since taking office.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-davos-housing-greenland-gaza-a2f3f4c18ba321c8025a3e208fc0ddf6">Trump this week backed away</a>&nbsp;from military and tariff threats against European allies as he announced that his administration was working with NATO on a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security.But Bacon still expressed frustration with Trump’s aggressive foreign policy and planned to vote for the war powers resolution, even though it only applies to Venezuela.“I’m tired of all the threats,” he said.Trump’s recent military actions — and threats to do more — have reignited a decades-old debate in Congress over the War Powers Act, a law passed in the early 1970s by lawmakers looking to claw back their authority over military actions.<h2>The war powers debate</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/war-powers-act-trump-congress-9e6832fb5f5f844acf8992008d3a8d63">War Powers Resolution</a>&nbsp;was passed in the Vietnam War era as the U.S. sent troops to conflicts throughout Asia. It attempted to force presidents to work with Congress to deploy troops if there hasn’t already been a formal declaration of war.Under the legislation, lawmakers can also force votes on legislation that directs the president to remove U.S. forces from hostilities.Presidents have long tested the limits of those parameters, and Democrats argue that Trump in his second term has pushed those limits farther than ever.The Trump administration left Congress in the dark ahead of the surprise raid to capture Maduro. It has also used an evolving set of legal justifications to blow up alleged drug boats and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/venezuela-oil-exports-explainer/">seize sanctioned oil tankers</a>&nbsp;near Venezuela.<h2>Democrats question who gets to benefit from Venezuelan oil licenses</h2>As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">Trump administration oversees</a>&nbsp;the sale of Venezuela’s petroleum worldwide, Senate Democrats are questioning who is benefitting from the contracts.In one of the first transactions, the U.S. granted Vitol, the world’s largest independent oil broker, a license worth roughly $250 million. A senior partner at Vitol, John Addison, gave roughly $6 million to Trump-aligned political action committees during the presidential election, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cycle=2024&amp;order=asc&amp;page=3&amp;sort=N&amp;zip=77024" target="_blank">donation records</a>&nbsp;compiled by OpenSecrets.“Congress and the American people deserve full transparency regarding any financial commitments, promises, deals, or other arrangements related to Venezuela that could favor donors to the President’s campaign and political operation,” 13 Democratic senators wrote to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Thursday in a letter led by Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California.The White House has said it is safeguarding the South American country’s oil for the benefit of both the people of Venezuela and the U.S.