Photo shared by the Department of Homeland Security shows authorities arresting Raul Gutierrez, (Supplied)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The man seen on widely-circulated videos taking a rifle bag from the back of a ransacked FBI vehicle during civil unrest in north Minneapolis was arrested after a brief pursuit in the city.
Raul Gutierrez, 33, is charged with possessing a firearm as a prohibited person and theft of public property.
The incident stems from a shooting involving an ICE agent who reportedly fired a "defensive shot," according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
READ MORE: North Minneapolis ICE shooting: What we know so far
Guns and ammo stolen from FBI vehicle during north Minneapolis unrest
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Federal vehicles ransacked after ICE shooting in north Minneapolis
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information after "several" federal vehicles were vandalized Wednesday night. The FBI is offering a reward related to Wednesday night’s vandalism and theft of government property. They’re seeking to recover stolen property, and to find the individuals responsible for the vandalism.
Big picture view:
FBI personnel said they were assisting with a DHS operation that "resulted in a use of force."
The incident stems from a shooting involving an ICE agent who reportedly fired a "defensive shot," according to (DHS).
A large crowd then gathered around the scene of the shooting after word spread that an ICE agent shot someone. This was just seven days after an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
The criminal complaint states that "As a result of the ensuing civil unrest, FBI and DHS personnel were forced to abandon their vehicles and property therein."
Footage shows the crowd descending on the abandoned vehicle and stealing equipment after a truck was attached to pull a safe from the back of SUV.
Based on information shared in the criminal complaint, the abandoned equipment included the following items:
- Colt M16A1 rifle
- Glock 17M handgun
- HUXWRX suppressor
- TRY Tactical body armor
- Motorola APX handheld radio
- Dell Latitude 5540
- 5.56 and 9mm firearm ammunition
The backstory:
The incident stems from a shooting involving an ICE agent who reportedly fired a "defensive shot," according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The shooting occurred in the Hawthorne Neighborhood of Minneapolis, near Lyndale and 24th Avenue North. DHS said ICE agents were conducting a traffic stop around 7 p.m. targeting a Venezuelan man they claim is living in the U.S. illegally.
DHS reports the man drove off and crashed into a parked car before running off on foot. A federal officer tried to arrest him, but DHS claims the man resisted and reportedly attacked the officer.
Federal officials say two people then exited a nearby home and attacked the agent with a shovel and broom handle, resulting in the ICE agent opening fire, hitting the man in the leg. The suspect then entered the house and refused to come out before agents entered the home and took him into custody.
The man was taken to the hospital via ambulance, and is expected to survive. The two other alleged attackers were taken into custody. The ICE agent was also taken to the hospital for treatment.
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What they're saying:
The criminal complaint states that investigators saw footage of a man "with a distinguishable facial tattoo" taking a soft rifle case from the back of a government SUV.
This all happened as several people in the crowd ransacked the vehicle, taking documents and equipment after tow ropes were attached to a truck and used to breach a locked safe.
Authorities say the case contained the M16A1 rifle and the HUXWRX suppressor.
Law enforcement then identified Raul Gutierrez based on past booking photos and criminal history, which included burglary, reckless discharge of a firearm and domestic assault by strangulation.
Other footage viewed by investigators on social media showed Gutierrez walking down a nearby street with the rifle case and placing it in the back of a black Ford Sedan before driving away.
Tow truck pursuit:
Law enforcement say they then started surveilling a home in Ventura Village and spotted a Ram pickup truck registered to Gutierrez on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 15.
They also saw a car inside a garage that was under a cover. A tow truck then arrived and loaded the covered car onto the back. Gutierrez then entered the tow truck before it drove away.
When the wind lifted part of the covered car, officers saw that it was the same Ford sedan from the previous night and tried to stop the tow truck.
The driver then tried to flee before the driver and the passenger got out and ran in separate directions.
Both were taken into custody after a brief pursuit.
The passenger was then found to be Gutierrez.
Suspect admits to taking gun bag from FBI vehicle
Dig deeper:
The criminal complaint states Gutierrez initially admitted to stealing the gun and said it was stolen from him by two unknown Black males. He then reportedly tried to "walk back his knowledge of the gun by saying he did not know what was in the case."
During the interview, Gutierrez admitted to possessing the rifle, which he is prohibited from doing as a registered felon.
The Source: This story uses information shared by the U.S Department of Homeland Security and previous FOX 9 reporting.