A federal immigration agent involved in a large-scale enforcement operation in Minnesota has been charged with felony assault after allegedly pointing a gun at two civilians during a highway encounter.
Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, one for each victim, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Thursday, April 16.
The charges stem from an incident on Feb. 5, when Morgan was allegedly driving an unmarked SUV and pulled alongside another vehicle while traveling on the Crosstown Highway shoulder in Richfield, according to prosecutors. He allegedly pointed his duty weapon at the driver and passenger while both vehicles were moving.
The victims were not engaged in any criminal activity at the time, Moriarty said.
Investigators said the driver of the targeted vehicle called 911 after the encounter. According to prosecutors, Morgan appeared to be attempting to bypass slower traffic and approached the vehicle after it briefly moved onto the shoulder.
Morgan later told Minnesota State Patrol investigators that he drew his firearm after the vehicle had returned to normal traffic, which prosecutors said aligned with statements from the victims and video evidence.
Moriarty described the alleged conduct as dangerous and outside the scope of a federal agent’s authority.
“Driving while pointing a weapon out of your moving vehicle at the victims who were in another moving vehicle could have led to yet another disastrous incident in the community that has already suffered too many,” Moriarty said.
The case is the first known criminal charge against a federal immigration agent tied to Operation Metro Surge, a major enforcement effort that brought thousands of agents to Minnesota late last year.
The operation drew national attention after two US citizens were fatally shot in separate encounters with federal immigration officers, sparking protests and criticism from lawmakers across the political spectrum.
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