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ICE agent turns himself in after Highway 62 gun-pointing incident
ICE agent Gregory Morgan turned himself into the Hennepin County Jail on Thursday. Morgan is charged with assault in connection with a Highway 62 gun-pointing incident. His attorney, Ryan Pacyga, says we've only heard one side of the story.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A federal agent is facing serious charges after an incident on a Twin Cities highway, but his attorney says there’s more to the story than what’s in the court documents.
Federal agent surrenders after highway confrontation
What we know:
Gregory Morgan Jr. surrendered to Hennepin County authorities more than three months after the Feb. 5 encounter on Highway 62. and more than a month after he was charged. Morgan, who is from Maryland, faces two felony counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
Prosecutors say Morgan was driving a black Ford Expedition on Highway 62 when he used the right shoulder to bypass traffic. According to court documents, another driver partially moved onto the shoulder to block Morgan’s SUV from passing. Investigators say Morgan then pulled alongside the vehicle, rolled down his window and pointed a handgun at the driver and passenger of the other vehicle.
The incident happened during Operation Metro Surge, a time when thousands of federal agents were in the Twin Cities for a large-scale immigration enforcement effort.
Morgan will make his first court appearance on these charges Thursday afternoon.
The other side:
Morgan’s attorney, Ryan Pacyga, spoke just before his client surrendered, saying, "At this point the public has heard only one side of the story through the charging document. We are confident that additional evidence, additional context, and the full circumstances surrounding this encounter matter greatly, and we all know how unfair it can be to only hear one side of the story, and that's what we've only heard so far, is one side, and in fact, one little bit of a much bigger story," Pacyga said.
"I can guarantee you that he meant no harm, and he did not intend to cause fear to those people. Okay, but you don't know what led up to this for him yet. And even if you look at the video, when you look at it from perhaps his standpoint, instead of these other drivers, maybe you'll start to come to some other thoughts about what he may have been experiencing, and why he may have taken certain actions that I won't get into," said Pacyga.
Pacyga also said, "I'm personally waiting for some more evidence from the Department of Justice, which takes a while, and of course, I haven't received yet the discovery from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. We just filed for that a day or two ago. I would anticipate, because they charged this case out a month ago, that it shouldn't take them very long to get that evidence to me, but we'll see," said Pacyga.
Morgan is the first federal agent charged in connection to Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
Operation Metro Surge
The backstory:
Operation Metro Surge brought thousands of federal agents to the Twin Cities for an immigration crackdown. The charges against Morgan stem from an encounter that took place during this operation, raising questions about the conduct of law enforcement during high-profile federal actions.
The case has drawn attention not only because of the charges but also because of the context in which they occurred, with both local and federal authorities involved in the investigation and prosecution.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear what additional evidence might be presented in Morgan’s defense or when the Department of Justice and Hennepin County Attorney’s Office will release more information to his attorney. Details about what led up to the confrontation on Highway 62 have not been fully disclosed.