By Holmes Lybrand, Whitney Wild, CNN
(CNN) — A warrant has been issued for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who allegedly pointed his government-issued firearm at another car and its passengers while driving on duty, prosecutors in Minnesota’s Hennepin County said Thursday.
The case comes as local and state prosecutors and investigators have opened a flurry of cases in Minnesota over ICE officers’ conduct during the Trump administration’s “Metro Surge” immigration operation earlier this year, during which several people, including Alex Pretti and Renee Good, were shot and killed by Department of Homeland Security officers.
County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the two second-degree assault charges against the man, Greg Morgan, during a press conference Thursday.
In early February while driving back to close out his shift, Morgan was driving on the shoulder of the road, Moriarty said. A separate vehicle briefly went into the shoulder ahead of Morgan before returning to the lane.
Moriarty said that Morgan then drove his car up to the other car and pointed his government-issued firearm out of his window and at the two passengers.
When asked about claims from the Trump administration that ICE officers enjoy absolute immunity while on duty, Moriarty responded that “there is no such thing as absolute immunity for federal agents who violate the law in the state of Minnesota or any other state.”
Prosecutors said during the press conference they do not know where Morgan is right now or whether he is still employed as an officer for ICE. There has been no communication with DHS about the incident and charges, Moriarty said.
In a unique turn for such a case, Morgan was interviewed by Minnesota state patrol investigators at the time and, according to Moriarty, “admitted that he drew his firearm after the victim’s vehicle had already rejoined the normal flow of traffic.”
In other cases involving ICE officers in Minnesota, federal officials have blocked state investigators from accessing evidence, including denying access to agents and refusing to share their identities.
A notable example happened as state investigators attempted to interview federal agents about the Pretti’s killing but were denied access. State prosecutors have sued DHS, demanding they turn over all evidence gathered in the Pretti investigation.
On Thursday, Moriarty also said Morgan had told investigators “that he yelled ‘police’” at the passengers, who had their windows up and did not know, according to prosecutors, that Morgan was an ICE officer.
“All they saw was the gun pointed at their heads,” she added.
CNN has reached out to DHS for comment and is attempting to contact an attorney for Morgan.
Moriarty prefaced the news by explaining why the case was being brought prior to charges in the shootings of Pretti, Good and others by DHS officers as well as several other instances involving federal officers’ alleged abuse in Hennepin County.
“I know the commun