Ramsey County Expands Oversight of Federal Agents
BY MN CRIME STAFF
Ramsey County law enforcement agencies are being directed to investigate allegations of felony-level criminal conduct involving federal agents, pursuing criminal cases when warranted.
It’s part of new guidance issued this week by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office following a countywide meeting of law enforcement leaders.
County Attorney John Choi announced the guidance after a Jan. 26 meeting that included all Ramsey County local law enforcement agencies, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The meeting was convened to address what the county described as a rise in federal law enforcement activity in Ramsey County and across Minnesota and its impact on local communities.
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As part of the announcement, the county attorney’s office released two documents: an amended Jan. 13 memorandum addressing investigations into use-of-deadly-force incidents involving federal agents and a new memorandum outlining procedures for investigating other alleged felony conduct committed by federal law enforcement agents while operating in Ramsey County.
Choi said the guidance is intended to clarify investigative and prosecution responsibilities when allegations involve federal agents and to ensure that local agencies take police reports from victims and witnesses, open investigations and pursue accountability under Minnesota law when appropriate.
“I am pleased that we can provide clarity and a framework upon which law enforcement agencies in Ramsey County will take police reports from victims and witnesses to alleged criminal conduct of federal law enforcement agents within their jurisdictions,” Choi said.
“As the Chief Prosecutor, it is my expectation that we will investigate past and future allegations of criminal conduct by federal agents to seek the truth and hold accountable anyone who has violated Minnesota law.”
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Choi said the Ramsey County Sheriff, working with his office, has already opened criminal investigations into possible criminal conduct occurring in Ramsey County involving victims who are United States citizens and that additional investigations are expected to follow.
“This is only the beginning of our work, and more investigations will follow by our local law enforcement agencies in Ramsey County,” Choi said. “No federal, state, or local agency is above the law.”
The felony-conduct guidance states that while federal agents may act pursuant to federal authority, that authority is not unlimited and remains constrained by the United States Constitution and the Minnesota Constitution. The document makes clear that existing procedures for reporting, investigating and referring felony crimes apply equally to federal law enforcement agents operating within Ramsey County.
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Under the guidance, all Ramsey County law enforcement agencies are required to take reports and assign case numbers for alleged felony crimes involving federal agents. Investigations are to be conducted using standard procedures, with investigators working in coordination with each other, assigned prosecutors from the county attorney’s office and, when possible, the involved federal agencies. Cases meeting felony charging standards are to be referred to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office for independent review.
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The revised deadly-force guidance reiterates that incidents involving the use of deadly force in Ramsey County are to be investigated by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension regardless of whether the officer involved is employed by a local, state or federal agency. The county attorney’s office said this approach reflects long-standing practice in Minnesota and is intended to ensure consistency and transparency in use-of-force investigations.
Both guidance documents also anticipate potential barriers to cooperation by federal agencies. The county attorney’s office stated that if necessary, it may assist investigators in obtaining court orders to access and preserve evidence, secure witnesses and protect crime scenes. The office also explicitly reserved the ability to convene a Ramsey County grand jury to obtain information or evidence if cooperation needed to conduct a thorough investigation is not reasonably satisfied.
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The guidance comes amid heightened scrutiny of federal law enforcement activity in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, by federal agents in south Minneapolis. That incident, along with the earlier Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent, has drawn public protests and raised concerns among state and local officials about investigative access and accountability when federal agents use force.
County officials said the new guidance is intended to confirm that local law enforcement and prosecutors retain the authority and obligation to investigate alleged felony crimes occurring within Ramsey County, regardless of the agency affiliation of the person accused.
