In police work, once rises beyond the rank of Sergeant—a street supervisor who still does some law enforcement work—the job becomes increasingly less about competent law enforcement and more about politics. This is particularly true of blue cities, where no one is promoted to the higher ranks unless they’re at least willing to keep their mouths shut about illegal, Democrat orders while carrying them out. Absolutely no one becomes a police chief in such places unless they’re wholly onboard with the Democrat Party platform in thought, word and deed.

Graphic: X Post

One such is Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who is threatening to fire his officers if they don’t break federal law by interfering with federal immigration agents. O’Hara has previously said he won‘t help ICE because he doesn’t have enough officers to handle the daily call load, which is partially accurate. Due to a hostile City Council and “Defund the Police” hysteria, the MPD is down 40% of its officers, and they can’t recruit despite dramatically lowing hiring standards.    

“If unlawful force is being used by any law enforcement officer against any person in this city and one of our officers is there, absolutely, I expect them to intervene, or they’ll be fired,” O’Hara said when asked how his officers should respond to excessive force by ICE agents. 

O’Hara noted that cases of “excessive” force that were “readily apparent” would merit officer intervention. A sergeant from O’Hara’s department later clarified that while Minneapolis Police Department officers may physically intervene in the case of unlawful force, they would stop short of arresting ICE agents. 

And what would O’Hara consider “unlawful” or “excessive” force? He’s not saying, but Democrats have nearly universally called ICE agents Gestapo, terrorizers, kidnappers and worse. If they had actual evidence of ICE personnel doing anything other than making lawful arrests, we can be certain we would have seen it—repeatedly—long before now.

O’Hara is placing his badly diminished police force between Minnesota politicians—himself included—and federal law.  Law like 18 USC 111:  

Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees

(a) In General.-Whoever-

(1) forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any person designated in section 1114 of this title while engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties; or

(2) forcibly assaults or intimidates any person who formerly served as a person designated in section 1114 on account of the performance of official duties during such person's term of service, shall, where the acts in violation of this section constitute only simple assault, be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, and where such acts involve physical contact with the victim of that assault or the intent to commit another felony, be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both.

(b) Enhanced Penalty.-Whoever, in the commission of any acts described in subsection (a), uses a deadly or dangerous weapon (including a weapon intended to cause death or danger but that fails to do so by reason of a defective component) or inflicts bodily injury, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

What O’Hara is demanding is MPD officers violate federal law. They don’t even need to get physical as O’Hara is demanding. Merely interfering by demanding federal officers explain themselves while doing their duty is sufficient to violate the law. Should they place hands on federal agents, they’re committing a felony.

One would think O’Hara doesn’t have enough officers to fire any for refusing to violate federal law.

There is another little matter. Police officers, local or federal, may use whatever force is necessary, including deadly force, to make a lawful arrest. I guarantee local officers don’t know the elements of federal immigration offenses, which will put them in the position of making false arrests against federal officers who will in turn arrest them for violation of 18 USC 111, and things could get western awfully quickly. Wouldn’t the Democrat Party media propaganda arm have fun with that?

Hopefully, O’Hara is merely posturing, though he seems to be the sort of guy who could be sufficiently, arrogantly stupid to act on his threats. Hopefully, ICE agents working in Minnesota will be constantly accompanied by video teams to document what they’re doing.

While local and state police can’t be forced to enforce federal law, they’d be wise to understand they’ll someday need federal help, which isn’t going to be forthcoming to people like O’Hara.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.