Minneapolis was again on edge this weekend after independent journalist Nick Sortor said he was robbed and dragged during a chaotic street encounter. The incident has raised sharp questions about safety, bystander response and tensions at a protest site in the city.
Police and protesters were already on alert after demonstrations sparked by recent immigration enforcement actions. In the midst of that unrest, Sortor says a woman he later identified as Subeyda Mohamed, who runs a local children’s autism center in Spring Lake Park, grabbed his expensive camera gear and sped off in a vehicle. According to Sortor’s account, he chased the car on foot as it turned onto a snowy sidewalk, and was dragged dangerously behind it for several yards when his hand got caught in the door handle.
Sortor’s description of the moment was vivid and harrowing. He told friends and followers he feared for his life as he slid on ice and snow, shouting for help. He says people on the street watched without stepping in. Afterward, some bystanders allegedly told him he “didn’t belong in Minnesota” before moving on with their day.
Friends and those who watched video of the scene confirm the vehicle had a matching license plate and the equipment taken was his professional camera gear, making him a target for the theft, according to his social posts and close witnesses. Why a local small-business owner would commit the theft is still unclear, and no charges have been filed publicly at this time.
As Sortor trailed the vehicle for nearly half an hour, other drivers honked in apparent support or warning. He says the tense follow-along ended only when the thieves disappeared into side streets in a nearby neighborhood. He eventually made it back to safety without serious injury.
The episode unfolded against a backdrop of heated immigration debates and protests outside of federal buildings in Minneapolis. Sortor and fellow content creator Cam Higby have been documenting demonstrations there for days, and video they posted shows crowds at times blocking streets and surrounding vehicles. During earlier clashes, they reported their car windows smashed and threats shouted at them by protesters who opposed their presence.
Authorities have not independently confirmed every detail of the camera theft or the identities involved. Local law enforcement has urged anyone with relevant footage or information to come forward. Meanwhile, Sortor plans to share what he captured with detectives and has called for a fuller investigation, saying he wants answers about both his safety and the broader tensions in the city’s streets.
The incident has stirred debate online about media safety, protester conduct and the responsibilities of bystanders when violence erupts. What began as a protest over immigration policy and law enforcement has now crossed into a larger story about trust, community and whether ordinary people feel safe in Minneapolis’s public spaces.
