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Did ICE tear gas a baby in Minneapolis? DHS tries to justify act; deletes X post amid backlash
Federal agents reportedly deployed tear gas during Wednesday night's protests in Minneapolis, after which two children were hospitalized.
Two children, one who was six-months-old, were hospitalized in Minneapolis after federal agents deployed tear gas during protests there. The infant was inside the vehicle that was hit with tear gas and began to face ‘breathing difficulties’, ABC News reported, citing the Minneapolis Office of Community Safety.
“The family moved the infant into a nearby home. Reports also stated that the baby had stopped breathing,” they added. Firefighters and police officers had to work through the crowds present in the area to get to the home. When they arrived on scene, they were able to confirm that the infant was ‘breathing and stable, but in serious condition’, as per the report.
The infant, and the other child, whose age was not released, were then shifted to a hospital. An immediate update about their health was not provided, as per the news outlet. This comes amid tensions in Minneapolis after ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good.
DHS issues update, deletes social media post
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offered their perspective on the event but has since then deleted the post.
On the post, the federal agency wrote “It is horrific to see radical agitators bring children to their violent riots.” The statement added, "please stop endangering your children', with the words written in all caps. However, they have deleted the post since then amid rising backlash.
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One person claimed that the DHS deleted the video because the ‘family was driving home and got blocked’. Another levelled a serious allegation against Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin, calling her a ‘liar’.
Yet another person remarked “The fine folks at DHS deleted this tweet because it was 100% false. They were driving home, got blocked by ICE and they deployed tear gas into their care, resulting in the infant ceasing breathing and needing emergency transport to the hospital. We should be able to trust our government to tell the truth at all times, or become illegitimate.”
The father, Shawn Jackson, told Fox 9 “Officers threw flash bangs and tear gas in my car. I got six kids in the car […] My 6-month-old can't even breathe. This was flipped over. My car filled with tear gas, I'm trying to pull my kids from the car.”
His wife, Destiny, said “My kids were innocent, I was innocent, my husband was innocent, this shouldn't have happened. We were just trying to go home.”
