Two people are in hospital following the shooting, according to local authorities (file image). Photo: AFP / OCTAVIO JONES
US federal agents have shot two people in Portland, prompting local police to call for calm after the fatal Minneapolis shooting on Thursday.
"Two people are in the hospital following a shooting involving federal agents," Portland Police said in a statement.
"Their conditions are unknown."
Border Patrol agents were conducting a vehicle stop Tuesday in Portland, Oregon when the driver "weaponised" the vehicle before an officer "fired a defensive shot," the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on X.
'Targeted vehicle stop' DHS says
DHS described the vehicle's passenger as "a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring" who had been involved in a recent shooting in Portland.
When the Border Patrol agents identified themselves to the vehicle's occupants the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a written statement.
"Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot," the statement said.
"The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene."
There was no immediate independent corroboration of those events or any confirmation of gang affiliation of the vehicle's occupants.
Border Patrol is a branch of the US Customs and Border Protection agency.
Portland Police said in its statement that local officers were not involved in the shooting.
Local officers initially responded to a report of a shooting near a hospital.
A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in a separate area.
Officers then found two people with apparent gunshot wounds.
"As far as we know both of these individuals are still alive and we are hoping for more positive updates throughout the afternoon," Portland City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said.
ICE agent fatally shoots woman
The shooting comes a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minnesota.
The incident escalated tensions in a city that has long had a contentious relationship with US President Donald Trump, who recently attempted, unsuccessfully, to deploy National Guard troops there.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day acknowledged the "heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis".
"But I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more," he said.
US Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, urged any protesters to remain peaceful.
"Trump wants to generate riots," he said in a post on the X social media platform.
"Don't take the bait."
- ABC
