Two people were injured in a shooting involving US federal agents in Portland, Oregon, officials say.
Portland police said in a statement that a man and a woman were taken to hospital following the incident. Their conditions were not immediately known.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the shooting happened at 14:19 local time (22:19 GMT) during a traffic stop involving a suspected Venezuelan gang member. According to DHS, the suspect “attempted to run over” federal agents with his car.
The incident comes just one day after a federal agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, an event that sparked protests across the US against federal law enforcement operations in major cities.
In a statement posted on X, DHS said the passenger in the vehicle was a Venezuelan national linked to the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and was allegedly involved in a recent shooting in Portland.
“When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents,” the statement said.
“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.”
Portland police said their officers were not involved in the traffic stop and only responded after receiving reports of a shooting.
The two people who were wounded have not been publicly identified. Police said they were found several blocks away from where the shooting occurred.
“Officers applied a tourniquet and summoned emergency medical personnel,” police said, adding that both victims were taken to hospital and that “their conditions are unknown.”
US media, citing police sources, reported that the injured man and woman are a married couple.
Portland District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said he went to the scene to ensure the investigation would be thorough.
“I’m here to monitor, to assist, and to make sure that there’s a thorough and complete investigation,” he told reporters.
He said authorities would work to ensure all evidence is preserved so investigators can fully understand what happened.
His remarks follow criticism in Minnesota, where officials said the FBI would not include local investigators in its probe into the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, who was killed after officers claimed she tried to run over agents.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day said on Thursday that investigators were still in the early stages of examining the incident.
“We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis,” he said, “but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”
At a later news conference, Chief Day confirmed that the FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting in Portland’s Hazelwood neighbourhood.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, a Democrat, called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to suspend all operations in the city until the investigation is complete.
“We know what the federal government says happened here,” he said. “There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time is long past.”
He added: “The administration is trying to divide us, to pit communities against each other. Portland, this is a moment to hold each other close.”
Portland has previously been a focal point for large anti-Trump protests.
On Wednesday night, police arrested one protester and charged him with menacing after he was allegedly found threatening another person with a knife.
Democratic state senator Lew Frederick told the BBC that local officials must be included in the investigation into Thursday’s shooting.
“If they aren’t,” he said, “the community isn’t going to trust that those results are impartial.”
Frederick added that tensions in Portland have been rising for weeks amid ongoing protests against the Trump administration.
“Unfortunately,” he said, “I do think the tragedy that occurred was foreseeable.”
