(Alpha News): A West St. Paul, Minn., man is facing several charges after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents claimed he pulled a gun on them and interfered with their duties last week.
Thomas Edwin Edwards, 62, is facing one gross misdemeanor count of obstructing the legal process with force and four misdemeanor counts of fifth-degree assault in connection to the incident that played out last Monday.
According to charges filed by the West St. Paul Attorney’s Office, West St. Paul police were called to the 1300 block of Charlton Street on a weapons call. The dispatcher advised them that a male, later identified as Edwards, had “just pulled a gun on Homeland Security.” Edwards was described as driving a blue Chevrolet Silverado.
Police arrived to find Edwards standing on the sidewalk in front of his driveway yelling at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Police told Edwards he was under arrest for pointing a gun at an ICE agent. Edwards requested officers to get his keys out of his truck and told officers that his gun was sitting on the dash. Edwards proceeded to tell officers that he was “pissed” and he was “ready to fucking start fighting all of ya.”
Charges say Edwards continued to make unprompted statements admitting that when he pulled into his driveway, ICE agents pulled a gun on him, so he took his gun out. Edwards later stated that he “would have shot [an ICE agent] because he was pointing a gun at me.” Officers later found a loaded .45 semi-auto firearm inside the center console of the vehicle.
Police later spoke to the DHS agents, who said they were conducting surveillance in a Home Depot parking lot when a person, later identified as Edwards, started following them. The agents tried to lose the vehicle multiple times, but Edwards continued to follow them for several minutes. Agents told police that at one point Edwards had a firearm in his hand and was screaming, blowing his whistle, and driving erratically while following the agents. The agents reported being fearful due to the person’s actions because he was following them closely and aggressively.
Two other agents told police that they were driving their vehicle that was marked with “POLICE” and “ICE,” when Edwards started following them. Edwards pulled up next to them and made a motion as if he was pulling a firearm from his waistband. One of the agents then pulled his service weapon, and Edwards threw his firearm on the dashboard of his vehicle. Edwards reportedly told the agents to “get the fuck out of here” and started blowing a whistle. The agents said they made several attempts to evade Edwards, but he continued to follow them while brandishing a firearm and making verbal threats. The agents told police that Edwards interfered with their ability to perform their official duties.
Edwards was booked into jail Monday afternoon and made his first court appearance on Wednesday. Edwards was subsequently released on $6,000 bail and was released from custody Wednesday afternoon. Court records show Edwards has hired private attorney Claire Glenn.
In a report by the Pioneer Press, Glenn said Edwards is disputing the charges.
Glenn further stated, “ICE is essentially deputizing people that are kidnapping our neighbors and our community members,” and said that her client “was entirely within his rights to observe and document what people were doing. And in retaliation, this charge was brought, even though it was the ICE agents that pointed their weapons at him,” as reported by the Pioneer Press.
Glenn also said that Edwards is a decorated Navy veteran who worked for the U.S. Postal Service for decades and “is a concerned community member who cares about his neighbors.”
The charges do not address whether Edwards has a permit to carry a pistol, which would be required to carry an uncased firearm in a vehicle off one’s own property.
Crime Watch Minneapolis obtained photos from a resident of Edwards’ West St. Paul neighborhood that show Edwards’ garage is covered with printed signs with sayings like, “Stop the billionaire takeover,” “Hands off unions,” “Hands off federal employees,” and “Protect Medicaid.” Other signs reference protecting VA healthcare and social security.
An undated archived street view image on Apple Maps shows a Minnesota DFL-emblazoned van parked in the driveway of Edwards’ home. Property records show Edwards has owned the home since at least 2004. The property is listed as a “disabled vet homestead” with a significantly reduced property tax rate, which Minnesota allows for qualified veterans.
Edwards is scheduled to make his next court appearance on the charges on Jan. 7, 2026, with a jury trial scheduled for Jan. 20, 2026.
