Amid the rise of ICE enforcement actions across different neighborhoods in the U.S., an unusual case of a man brandishing a gun at the federal agents was reported recently. A 63-year-old Dakota County man named Thomas Edwards is facing criminal charges after he started following ICE agents exiting their car from a Home Depot parking lot. He was driving a blue pickup truck and was directly behind the agents as they conducted checks in the West St. Paul area.
As per court documents obtained on the matter, Edwards was spotted driving erratically and was reckless in his behavior. He blew a whistle, screamed and hurled insults towards the agents. At one point during the chase, the man drew up his car next to that of the ICE officers and appeared to brandish a firearm at them from his car window. He mocked them and acted as if he was pulling out a gun from his waistband. It was at this point that the agents acted in defense and pulled out their guns.
However, Thomas Edwards was in no mood to give up on the fight till then. The court documents reveal that the minute one of the agents pulled out his gun, the 63-year-old screamed at the agents, saying, “Get the [expletive] out of here”.
At the end, prosecutors in Dakota County slammed Edwards with multiple charges on Christmas Eve. He was charged with obstructing legal process and has 4 counts of fifth-degree assault to his name. If found guilty of obstruction, an individual can be sentenced to about a year in jail and a whopping $3,000 fine. On the other hand, in the cases of assault, Thomas can be fined $1000 and may have to serve up to 90 days in jail.
Meanwhile, the defense attorney for Thomas Edwards has placed a very different angle on the story. Defending his client, Claire Glenn mentioned that the man was provoked to point his gun only after the agents started pointing theirs in the first place. Moreover, the attorney highlighted that this incident has added to the alarming cases of rising rowdy behaviour by ICE agents.
“It’s undisputed that the agents were pointing their weapons at Mr. Edwards. 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.”
When the cops from West St. Paul police later arrived after receiving complaints from Homeland Security, they found the man shouting at ICE agents while standing on the sidewalk beside his home. When the officers informed Thomas Edwards that he was getting arrested, he got agitated and hurled abuses at them, too.
Man confronts immigration agents as they check the identifications of two men.
“You’re terrorizing your own f*cking people just because they’re brown.”
TT: catrachitopromotion pic.twitter.com/JvGYXZcAgl
— ICE of TikTok (@ICEofTikTok) December 25, 2025
As per the details on the court documents, the man allegedly stated that he was “ready to start [expletive] fighting all of ya”. Edwards further alleged that he would have even shot a gun at one of the agents because they pointed a gun at him as well. Fast forward to now, with the case being registered, Thomas has already made his first appearance in court on Wednesday. He is scheduled to make another for the case hearing in the next month.
