Family recounts being caught in unrest after man is shot by federal agent

Shawn Jackson felt his SUV launch off the pavement after a federal agent threw a flash-bang that exploded under his vehicle in north Minneapolis, injuring his six children and wife inside.

The family was driving home from 11-year-old Shawn Jr.’s basketball game on the night of Jan. 14 and were a few blocks from home when they were caught in the middle of unrest after an undocumented Venezuelan was shot in the leg by a federal agent during ongoing immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities. The shooting happened near the intersection of 6th Street and 24th Avenue and drew hundreds of protesters.

Jackson’s SUV, which was stuck in the ensuing chaos, filled with smoke from a tear gas cannister thrown under his vehicle. By the time he and his wife Destiny pulled their kids from the vehicle, their 6-month-old son D’Iris was unconscious and foaming at the mouth. Their five other children, ages 2, 7 and 11 and 4-year-old twins, desperately tried to escape.

Destiny Jackson dropped to the ground and began administering CPR on the baby.

“I remember just praying, telling him, ‘I’m going to give you all my breath until you take yours,’” she said.

Dramatic video shows Destiny Jackson carrying the baby into a nearby home while other children run through the smoke-filled air as federal agents stand in the background.

“There’s kids in the car, record that!” a bystander yells.

ICE did not return requests for comment on the family’s experience.

In a since-deleted post on X, the Department of Homeland Security initially blamed the family for the injuries their children suffered.

“It is horrific to see radical agitators bring children to their violent riots,” the post read. “PLEASE STOP ENDANGERING YOUR CHILDREN.”

The post was removed sometime later. DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin later told CNN that it was taken down “because the people were victims of the rioters but didn’t bring their kids to the riot.”

DHS said the protests came after federal officers conducted a “targeted traffic stop” where an undocumented man fled the scene before crashing into a parked car.

Destiny Jackson’s mother was at the protest and the family was concerned for her safety, so they pulled over to check on her.

By the time Shawn Jackson realized he needed to leave, he said, it was too late. Agents and their SUVs had moved forward, blocking his SUV from leaving, he said.

Explosions and tear gas canisters started going off around and under Shawn Jackson’s vehicle. At the same time, protesters were lobbing fireworks and chunks of ice at agents.

One of the flash-bangs set off all of the airbags and damaged the vehicle. The Jacksons began pulling their six kids out of the SUV, though it was difficult because the airbags caused the doors to lock. After a few minutes of CPR at the scene, Destiny Jackson was able to resuscitate D’Iris. The boy’s siblings were fearful he wouldn’t make it, she recalled.

“They kept screaming, ‘My baby brother,’” Destiny Jackson said.

Eventually an ambulance and Minneapolis police officers arrived and gave aid to the family, Shawn Jackson said. After an ambulance arrived, Shawn, Shawn Jr., Destiny, D’Iris and Elivas, 7, were taken to a hospital for smoke exposure.

They had to strip off their clothing and be scrubbed with cold liquid by someone in a “chemical suit” to treat them for exposure, Shawn Jackson said.

He said he understands that agents were dealing with a tense situation and some protesters were throwing things. But he said the agents’ tactics seemed reckless and dangerous when there were innocent bystanders, including children, in the area.

“I just feel like they overdid their role,” Jackson said. “I don’t speak for all, but for me as a father and a man, it was unnecessary.”

Asha Hassan, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine who has studied the reproductive health impacts of tear gas, said short-term impacts can include blurred vision, runny nose, chest tightness, nausea and vomiting.

“That’s a problem when we think about smaller bodies developing,” Hassan said. “The obvious concern here is that they will experience a greater impact.”

Hassan added that it’s a common misconception that tear gas only causes teary eyes. In reality, she said, it has the potential to do much more damage.

The Jackson family was released from the hospital after a few hours, though D’Iris will be having follow-up appointments, Shawn Jackson said.

In the days since their hospitalization, the baby has been suffering from increased congestion and coughing at night, Destiny Jackson said.

While they have recovered physically, Shawn and Destiny Jackson said the incident has left their family traumatized. Some of their kids now feel scared to get in a car, and are worried they could be tear-gassed again, Destiny said.