Recent activities by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Old Town area of Mankato, Minnesota sparked a commotion, leading to the involvement of local police. Following the tumult on January 12, Public Safety Director Jeremy Clifton provided a detailed review of the events at the behest of the City Council, which has been published on the city's official social media. According to the City of Mankato, the timeline began at 3:26 p.m. with a report of federal agents inside a business on North Riverfront Drive.
As the situation escalated, dispatch received subsequent calls indicating agents were to door-to-door canvas the Rock Street area and were later involved in a confrontation. It was during this confrontation that the report of pepper spray being used came in. The Mankato Police Officers were quick to quickly respond, arriving within minutes after dispatch. The official report notes that they "did not find any evidence of pepperball-type munitions being deployed" and assisted an individual who had been pepper sprayed. The perpetrators responsible for deploying the pepper spray, however, were not located.
During the review, the Council requested clarification on whether a firearm had been observed or reported during the incident. Director Clifton's review confirmed that "no reports indicated a firearm was seen or reported to Mankato Police," the City of Mankato stated.
