Emotions stir with word of ICE-involved St. Paul crash

A Reddit user posted this photo of a badly damaged vehicle following a crash on Western Avenue in St. Paul. The user edited the photo to remove the faces of onlookers.

Residents and those enjoying a bite or a beverage in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of St. Paul were shaken by a vehicle crash that has at least one person in the hospital – a crash witnesses say was initiated by federal agents. 

Reports and images of the crash showing a badly damaged Toyota Prius with airbags deployed first circulated on social media with many speculating that a person was killed. That speculation was due in large part to images of a person being loaded into an ambulance with a sheet covering the entire body, but now word is the individual being loaded into the ambulance had a sheet covering the head due to privacy concerns. 

The crash happened shortly before 10 a.m. near the intersection of Western and Selby Avenues. According to St. Paul Police, the crash occurred as federal agents were pursuing a targeted individual. St. Paul Police state the injured party was transported to an area hospital with what they are calling non-life-threatening injuries. 

Individuals at the corner of Selby and Western Avenues in St. Paul protesting the presence of ICE in Minnesota. Photo: Harry Colbert, Jr.

One witness, Ayanna (who declined to give her last name), said she did see the victim bleeding and badly injured, but believed the person’s injuries were not mortal. 

"The incident today at Selby and Western underscores the fact that ICE is still present, causing chaos, and putting residents at risk in St. Paul," said St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her in a statement. She went on to say, "Because of the reckless way that ICE is running their operation, one person ended up in the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, and several bystanders had their cars damaged. This is just another incident that tells us loud and clear: Operation Metro Surge needs to end immediately."

By noon there were very few signs of an incident, however a group of individuals gathered at the intersection to protest ICE activities in the state.