Executive Summary
- Oluwadamilola Ogooluwa Bamigboye and Rekeya Lionesha Lee Frazier face federal charges for assaulting a law enforcement officer.
- An HSI agent was allegedly trapped inside the suspects’ vehicle as they fled an attempted immigration arrest in Plymouth, Minnesota.
- The pursuit ended at the New Hope Police Department, where both suspects were taken into custody.
- Bamigboye claims the flight was motivated by PTSD and denies that agents initially identified themselves.
Two individuals face federal charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer after a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation in Plymouth, Minnesota, escalated into a chaotic flight where an agent was allegedly trapped inside the suspects’ moving vehicle.
According to a criminal complaint filed by FBI Special Agent Terry Getsch, HSI agents were conducting surveillance on Oluwadamilola Ogooluwa Bamigboye, 24, regarding a student visa overstay. Agents observed Bamigboye enter the passenger seat of a Jeep SUV driven by Rekeya Lionesha Lee Frazier, 23, outside an apartment complex. When agents approached the vehicle, displayed their badges, and identified themselves, Bamigboye allegedly instructed Frazier to drive away.
The affidavit states that as one agent entered the front passenger area to prevent the vehicle from leaving, a struggle ensued. Bamigboye allegedly attempted to push the agent out while Frazier accelerated. The agent was involuntarily carried inside the Jeep as it traveled toward New Hope, Minnesota. During the ride, the agent reported fearing for his safety as Frazier allegedly refused commands to stop and threatened to crash the vehicle.
Other HSI units pursued the Jeep with lights and sirens, at one point making contact with the rear of the vehicle. The pursuit concluded when Frazier pulled into the New Hope Police Department parking lot. Bamigboye fled on foot into a nearby Hy-Vee grocery store, where he was subsequently apprehended by an HSI agent. Frazier was arrested in the vehicle. Both defendants are currently held in Sherburne County Jail.
In interviews with authorities, Bamigboye denied that the agents initially showed their badges but admitted to instructing Frazier to drive away. The affidavit notes that Bamigboye claimed to suffer from PTSD resulting from a past kidnapping in Nigeria.
Investigative & Legal Context
This incident highlights the volatile nature of field arrests involving plainclothes officers and unmarked vehicles. The sequence of events, which included a suspect calling 911 while fleeing federal agents, underscores the potential for confusion during high-stress enforcement operations. Federal prosecutors will likely focus on the physical endangerment of the agent trapped in the vehicle, a factor that significantly elevates the severity of the charges under federal statutes protecting law enforcement personnel. It is important to note that all individuals named in this report are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
