Minnesota Man Surprised by Consequences After Assaulting Federal Agent

A Minnesota man who lives in his mother's basement and hosts a podcast with a shrinking audience voiced outrage after authorities arrested him for assaulting a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a protest.

Tim Shapiro, 41, described the incident to his remaining 13 subscribers as a mostly peaceful demonstration against immigration enforcement operations.

Shapiro physically struck the agent while the officer performed routine duties in the area.

"If I can't engage in a mostly peaceful protest, then we have lost our country," Shapiro said.

Federal authorities responded quickly to the assault. Officers detained Shapiro at the scene and transported him to a local facility, where he spent the night in custody following formal charges.

Shapiro maintained that his actions fell under protected expression.

"What happened to free speech?" he asked.

The confrontation took place amid heightened federal immigration enforcement activities in Minneapolis. Shapiro has used his podcast platform to voice strong opposition to these operations, often recording episodes from his basement setup equipped with a microphone and ring light.

Additional details about Shapiro's daily life include limited outings beyond protest events. His podcast viewership has steadily declined in recent months, dropping from higher numbers to the current low subscriber count.

Shapiro repeated his disbelief in follow-up comments shared online. He insisted no one informed him that physical assaults on federal officers carried legal repercussions.

Authorities processed Shapiro's release after the overnight hold. He returned home to continue broadcasting his views on the matter.

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