Prosecutors say man stalked immigration agents, pulled gun on them in Twin Cities suburb

Paul Walsh, Star Tribune on Dec 24, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

MINNEAPOLIS — A man stalked federal agents in his pickup truck for miles in West St. Paul and aimed a gun at them in an effort to chase them off, according to a criminal complaint filed on Dec. 24.

Thomas Edwin Edwards, 63, was charged in Dakota County District Court with obstructing the legal process with force, a gross misdemeanor, and four misdemeanor assault counts in connection with two confrontations with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Dec. 22.

Edwards was arrested that morning by West St. Paul police and remains jailed in lieu of $4,000 bail ahead of a Jan. 7 hearing.

Defense attorney Claire Glenn told the Minnesota Star Tribune that “Mr. Edwards absolutely disputes the complaint and demands his day in court. ... We are very skeptical of the claims that these alleged ICE agents made against him.”

The incident comes as protesters, legal observers and neighborhood groups have developed a coordinated strategy to respond to scenes to document the actions of ICE agents and sometimes prevent the arrest of suspected undocumented immigrants, at times resulting in escalating confrontations.

Protesters have blocked cars and thrown objects at law enforcement, and agents have used force, firing pepper spray or shoving protesters to the ground.

According to charges against Edwards:

West St. Paul police went to the 1300 block of Charlton Street on Dec. 22 after federal agents reported that a man was driving a pickup truck and “just pulled a gun on Homeland Security,” the complaint read.

Officers arrived and saw Edwards on the sidewalk in front of his driveway and yelling at ICE agents. The officers told him he was being arrested on suspicion of pointing a gun at an agent.

Edwards said he was mad and ready to “start fighting all of ya.” He explained that ICE agents pulled a gun on him, so he responded in kind and acknowledged he “would have shot (an agent) because he was pointing a gun at me,” according to the complaint.

Officers found a loaded semiautomatic handgun inside the pickup’s center console.

Two agents told police they were parked outside a Home Depot conducting surveillance when Edwards started following them.

“Agents tried to lose the vehicle multiple times, but (Edwards) continued to follow them for several minutes,” the charges noted. “At one point, (Edwards) had a firearm in his hand. [He] was screaming, blowing his whistle and driving erratically while following the agents. The agents were fearful of (him) because he was following them closely and aggressively.”

Two other agents relayed to police a similar experience with Edwards while they were in a vehicle marked “ICE.”

They said Edwards started following them and at one point pulled up and made a motion as if he were pulling a gun from his waistband.

One of the agents drew a gun, and Edwards threw his weapon onto the pickup’s dashboard. He told the agents to “get the (expletive) out of here” and blew a whistle, charges say.

The agents tried repeatedly to evade Edwards, but he kept following them and brandishing his gun while making verbal threats.

Edwards’ actions, the complaint summed up, interfered with the agents’ ability to perform their official duties.

“It’s undisputed that the agents were pointing their weapons at Mr. Edwards,” Glenn, the defense attorney, said. “This is one of several instances around the city of agents playing Rambo in our streets at concerned citizens like Mr. Edwards. They have every right to observe and document what (agents) are doing.”

A day earlier, on Dec. 21, a federal immigration officer fired a weapon after he was struck with a vehicle by a suspect fleeing from officers in St. Paul, according to the Department of Homeland Security. No one was hit by the gunfire.

The agency said the officers pursued the suspect, a Cuban national, who later struck two parked vehicles and rammed an ICE vehicle before hitting a second officer.

A check of public records on Dec. 24 in state and federal court show no charges stemming from that encounter.

_____