Witness, ICE offer conflicting accounts of chaotic clash in Minneapolis

Witnesses conflict with ICE account

Protesters clashed with immigration authorities in south Minneapolis on Monday afternoon, but a day later both sides offered conflicting accounts of how the chaos unfolded.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Protesters clashed with immigration authorities in south Minneapolis on Monday afternoon, but a day later both sides offered conflicting accounts of how the chaos unfolded.

ICE agents drag woman across street

What happened:

Federal immigration authorities conducted a targeted operation near Karmel Mall on Monday, where dozens of protesters started throwing chunks of ice at them and shouted death threats, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Video that circulated online shows agents dragging a woman across a street. The crowd said she was pregnant. The woman, who was not identified, was released over safety concerns, authorities said. 

The other side:

DHS officials say the woman who was dragged tried to vandalize a squad car.

The agency said officers abandoned their attempt to arrest her over safety concerns after protesters hurled chunks of ice and rocks at agents and deployed pepper spray against them.

Witness recounts chaos in south Minneapolis

What a witness says:

A witness who recorded some of the melee disputed a key portion of the government’s account.

"They chased her down to the corner, and they took her, and they were really forceful and brutal with her," recalled Taneka Dortch. "That’s a lie. She didn’t rush. She didn’t try to vandalize any of their vehicles."

Dig deeper:

Two U.S. citizens were arrested after they assaulted agents during the clash, according to authorities. Both remain in custody.