US officials reported that two people were injured in a shooting involving federal agents in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon local time. Portland police stated the injured were a man and a woman who have been hospitalized, though their conditions remain unclear. This incident occurred just one day after a woman was fatally shot in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide protests against the Trump administration.
The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed the shooting involving federal agents occurred at 2:19 p.m. local time on Thursday, 8 Jan, during a stop of a suspicious vehicle in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Portland.
A statement from the department said the operation targeted a Venezuelan man who had entered the country illegally and was linked to "Tren de Aragua," a transnational criminal gang involved in prostitution and previous shootings in Portland. When officers identified themselves to conduct a search, the driver "used the vehicle as a weapon," attempting to ram officers to escape, prompting them to shoot in self-defense.
After being shot, the vehicle fled the scene but was later located several blocks away by local police. Inside, a man and woman—reported by local media to be husband and wife—were found with gunshot wounds. Officers applied tourniquets and rushed them to the hospital. Their current conditions are unknown.
This event occurred amid heightened tensions between local and federal governments under President Donald Trump, following the shooting death of a woman by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis on 7 Jan.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, called for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to immediately halt all operations in the city until investigations are complete, stating, "The era when we accepted federal government statements without question is over." He also accused the government of sowing division within communities.
Portland police confirmed that local officers were not involved in the shooting and that the FBI has taken lead on the investigation.
Oregon State Senator Lew Frederick warned that if federal authorities do not allow local officials to participate in the investigation, public trust in the outcome will be lost. Meanwhile, protests against the Trump administration continue in Portland, with reports of arrests of demonstrators carrying knives to threaten others on the previous Wednesday night.
.sourceBBC