Claire Louise Feng and Emily Duchateau Baierl Arrested After Altercation With Agents in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS, two women are facing federal charges after allegedly assaulting U.S. Border Patrol agents during a confrontation that followed the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti over the weekend, according to authorities.
Federal court records show that Claire Louise Feng, 27, of St. Paul, and Emily Duchateau Baierl, 37, of Minneapolis, were arrested on January 24 and charged in U.S. District Court with assaulting federal law enforcement officers.
Feng was formally charged the following day, while Baierl faces the same charge. Both women were scheduled to make their initial court appearances on January 26.
Court documents indicate that neither defendant has an attorney listed at this time.
Both remain in custody at the Sherburne County Jail as a judge considers bail conditions.
The charges stem from events that unfolded shortly after Pretti, 37, was fatally shot by federal agents at approximately 9 a.m. during an immigration enforcement operation.
Following the shooting, federal officers established a security perimeter as a crowd gathered near the scene.
According to criminal complaints filed against Feng and Baierl, tensions escalated around 9:25 a.m. after federal agents deployed chemical agents to prevent individuals from approaching the area.
Investigators allege that a woman kicked a chemical canister back toward officers.
As an agent attempted to arrest the individual, he fell to the ground.
The complaint states that Feng then tackled the agent, prompting a second officer to intervene and pull her away.
As Feng was restrained face down, the second agent reached beneath her to secure her arm. Authorities allege that Feng then bit the agent’s right ring finger.
According to the complaint, the agent’s vision was impaired by his gas mask, and he was initially unaware of the extent of the injury, though he knew he had been hurt.
After removing his glove, the agent discovered that the tip of his finger had been bitten off.
The severed fingertip was later found inside the glove, and the agent received medical treatment approximately 45 minutes after the incident.
In a separate encounter around the same time, a Border Patrol agent attempted to arrest Baierl after observing her allegedly throwing objects toward officers.
Investigators say the agent was pushed away by another individual, after which a second agent attempted to detain Baierl.
While the officer attempted to remove her face covering, Baierl allegedly bit the agent’s middle finger, which was covered by a glove.
Pretti’s death marks the second fatal shooting involving federal agents in Minnesota this month amid a large-scale immigration enforcement effort known as Operation Metro Surge.
Federal authorities have not released additional details regarding the ongoing investigation into the shooting itself.
The cases against Feng and Baierl remain pending in federal court.
