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Yesterday on a day with multiple sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in West St. Paul, police arrested a man for allegedly trailing federal agents and brandishing a gun.
- The 63-year-old male was arrested near Charlton and Emerson without incident.
- Police were alerted to a suspect following federal agents and reportedly “was observed reaching for and brandished a firearm.” On the scene, West St. Paul police saw a gun on the suspect’s dashboard and arrested him.
- The suspect is being held for “terroristic threats” and fourth-degree assault. Official charges are pending.
Statements on ICE
- Local: A police statement on the incident included a reminder that the West St. Paul police do not do immigration enforcement. This comes after an early December social media post from the City of West St. Paul noting that the city and police “do not and cannot enforce civil immigration laws. These activities are conducted by federal agencies, not by local law enforcement.”
- More local: Police Chief Brian Sturgeon reiterated this stance at a community safety meeting earlier this year, noting that immigration enforcement is a civil matter and the police do not get involved in civil matters. Though they will respond to issues of public safety, as was the case in yesterday’s incident.
- Metro: Multiple suburban police departments have released statements recently reiterating the same, emphasizing that they want everyone, citizen or not, to feel safe calling 911 and cooperating with local investigations.
- Pushback: Dakota County Commissioner Joe Atkins shared a survey on social media and raised concerns about ICE activities. Dakota County Sheriff Joe Leko has been active in the comments, clearing up misconceptions and expressing frustration about ICE’s lack of coordination with local law enforcement.
Update: Jan. 5, 2026
Reporting from the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, and KSTP has more details on this incident in West St. Paul:
- Who: The suspect was identified as 63-year-old Thomas Edwards, a Navy veteran and former postal worker.
- What: The charges allege Edwards pulled a gun on federal agents and followed them. “Agents tried to lose the vehicle multiple times, but [Edwards] continued to follow them for several minutes,” the charges noted. “At one point, [Edwards] had a firearm in his hand. [He] was screaming, blowing his whistle and driving erratically while following the agents. The agents were fearful of [him] because he was following them closely and aggressively.”
- Disputed: “Absolutely didn’t go down that way,” Edwards told KSTP. He has a permit to carry and had his gun in his truck, but denies pointing it at agents. Edwards’ attorney adamantly disputes the charges, noting that federal agents pointed their guns at Edwards: “It’s undisputed that the agents were pointing their weapons at Mr. Edwards,” defense attorney Claire Gunn told the Star Tribune. “This is one of several instances around the city of agents playing Rambo in our streets at concerned citizens like Mr. Edwards. They have every right to observe and document what [agents] are doing.”
- Charges: The Dakota County attorney declined to file the initial felony charges, and now the city has filed misdemeanor charges of obstruction and fifth-degree assault.
Editor’s note: This story is based on police accounts available at the time, which may change and can inherently give a one-sided report of the incident.
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