4 indicted after Minneapolis clashes, including a woman accused of
biting off an officer’s fingertip
[February 14, 2026]
By STEVE KARNOWSKI and REBECCA BOONE
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Four people have been indicted on federal charges
stemming from clashes with federal officers in Minneapolis, including
one woman who is accused of biting off an immigration officer’s
fingertip.
The three others were charged in connection with threats made to FBI
agents after documents containing the agents' personal information was
stolen from a vehicle.
According to sworn statements filed in those cases, the FBI agents were
investigating a shooting by an Immigration Customs Enforcement Officer
on Jan. 14 when protests made the area unsafe and they had to flee on
foot, leaving behind two of their vehicles. The vehicles were vandalized
and broken into, and several things were stolen including guns, FBI
identification cards and documents that included addresses, phone
numbers and other personal information of some FBI employees.
That personal information was then posted on social media, according to
the court documents, and that's when the officers began receiving
threatening phone calls, text messages and emails.
Woman accused of biting off immigration officer’s fingertip
Claire Louise Feng, 27, is accused of biting off the fingertip of a
special agent from Homeland Security Investigations during a Jan. 24
protest that happened after immigration officers shot and killed Alex
Pretti. Feng, who is from St. Paul, Minnesota, was indicted on the
charge of assaulting a federal officer resulting in injury.
In an affidavit filed in the case, Homeland Security Investigations
special agent Bronson Day said an immigration officer was attempting to
arrest another protester when Feng tackled the officer. A Customs and
Border Protection officer took Feng to the ground and was trying to
secure her arms when Feng bit the officer’s finger through a glove, Day
wrote.
The day was very cold and the officer didn’t immediately realize the
severity of the injury, Day wrote, but when the officer removed his
glove, he realized the tip of his ring finger had been removed, exposing
the bone. He was able to get medical attention within an hour, Day
wrote.
Feng’s attorney, Kevin C. Riach, said she would fight the charge.
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Tear gas surrounds federal law enforcement officers as they leave a
scene after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis.
(AP Photo/John Locher, File)
“All you have to do to assess the credibility of ICE (Immigration
and Customs Enforcement) agents when they make allegations like this
is to look at yesterday’s dismissal that confirmed ICE agents have
made false allegations against a defendant,” Riach said. “We look
forward to fighting this case and clearing Ms. Feng’s name.”
3 people indicted in threats to FBI agents
Brenna Marie Doyle, 18, of Spokane, Washington, was indicted
Thursday on charges of threatening to murder a federal law
enforcement officer, threatening to murder a federal law enforcement
officer’s family member and interstate transmission of a threat to
injure a person. The indictment alleges she left voice messages on
the FBI agent's phone threatening to kill them and their spouse and
child.
Doyle hasn't entered a plea yet, and her attorney Robert D. Richman
said they were waiting to receive evidence from the government so
they can evaluate the case. He noted Doyle lives in Washington state
and has never been to Minnesota.
“There is no allegation that she took any steps whatsoever to carry
out any of these threats or come within a thousand miles of the
agent,” Richman said.
James Patrick Lyons, 45, of California was indicted on five counts
of interstate transmission of threats to injure a person, and Jose
Alberto Ramirez, 29, of Illinois was indicted on one count of the
same charge. Both men are accused of sending threatening text
messages to FBI employees.
Attorneys for Ramirez and Lyons did not immediately respond to
messages requesting comment. Neither man has had the opportunity to
enter a plea.
___
Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.
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