Prosecutors say man stalked immigration agents, pulled gun on them in Twin Cities suburb

A man stalked federal agents in his pickup truck for miles in West St. Paul and aimed a gun at them in an effort to chase them off, according to a criminal complaint filed on Dec. 24.

Thomas Edwin Edwards, 63, was charged in Dakota County District Court with obstructing the legal process with force, a gross misdemeanor, and four misdemeanor assault counts in connection with two confrontations with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents Dec. 22.

Edwards was arrested that morning by West St. Paul police, posted bond on Dec. 24 and is due back in court on Jan. 7.

Defense attorney Claire Glenn told the Minnesota Star Tribune that “Mr. Edwards absolutely disputes the complaint and demands his day in court. ... We are very skeptical of the claims that these alleged ICE agents made against him.”

The incident comes as protesters, legal observers and neighborhood groups have developed a coordinated strategy to respond to scenes to document the actions of ICE agents and sometimes prevent the arrest of suspected undocumented immigrants, at times resulting in escalating confrontations.

Protesters have blocked cars and thrown objects at law enforcement, and agents have used force, firing pepper spray or shoving protesters to the ground.

According to charges against Edwards:

Officers arrived and saw Edwards on the sidewalk in front of his driveway and yelling at ICE agents. The officers told him he was being arrested on suspicion of pointing a gun at an agent.

Edwards said he was mad and ready to “start fighting all of ya.” He explained that ICE agents pulled a gun on him, so he responded in kind and acknowledged he “would have shot [an agent] because he was pointing a gun at me,” according to the complaint.

Officers found a loaded semiautomatic handgun inside the pickup’s center console.

Two agents told police they were parked outside a Home Depot conducting surveillance when Edwards started following 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.”

They said Edwards started following them and at one point pulled up and made a motion as if he were pulling a gun from his waistband.

One of the agents drew a gun, and Edwards threw his weapon onto the pickup’s dashboard. He told the agents to “get the [expletive] out of here” and blew a whistle, charges say.

The agents tried repeatedly to evade Edwards, but he kept following them and brandishing his gun while making verbal threats.

Edwards’ actions, the complaint summed up, interfered with the agents’ ability to perform their official duties.

“It’s undisputed that the agents were pointing their weapons at Mr. Edwards,” Glenn, the defense attorney, said. “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.”

The agency said the officers pursued the suspect, a Cuban national, who later struck two parked vehicles and rammed an ICE vehicle before hitting a second officer.