An Abandoned Vehicle, A Damaged Windshield, and Three Records Requests
ResistMap's National Watchcenter is investigating a suspicious scene in Minneapolis. Here's what we've found—and what we're still looking for.
On January 30th, 2026—the same day tens of thousands of Minnesotans marched through downtown Minneapolis in bitter cold to demand an end to ICE operations—a livestreamer captured something troubling on the corner of West Franklin Avenue and La Salle.
An SUV - running, empty, and with no driver. No police or other authorities were on scene. The windshield bore damage that could have been bullet holes, or impacts from a blunt object. The rear windshield was missing entirely.
It’s distressingly common to see vehicles abandoned on the street that were involved in an ICE abduction at this time, but what is not so common is to see a vehicle with so much damage of a suspicious nature.
In a city that has seen federal agents kill two civilians in under a month, where 3,000 ICE and CBP officers have descended for what DHS calls “the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out,” unexplained scenes like this demand investigation.
In the wake of this video being posted, we noted that there has been no official response while rumors have continued to swirl online.
So we investigated.
What We Know So Far
The vehicle is a 2015 Jeep Cherokee (VIN: 1C4PJMCB3FW727378) with Minnesota plates TCZ-862.
On the windshield, written in what appeared to be grease marker: 11-19-25 263477 K-Y (or possibly K-J)—markings consistent with an impound or tow lot's notation system.
Registration records show it was registered on November 12, 2025—exactly seven days before the date marked on the windshield (11-19-25). The vehicle has no salvage history, no insurance incident records, and no impound records we could locate through available databases as of February 1st.
As of writing, the Minneapolis Open Data Portal’s police incidents tracker had not been updated since January 21, 2026, meaning we were unable to identify any reports that way. However, a nearby police camera (operated by Minneapolis PD and provided by Insight LPR) means we have an opportunity to acquire footage of this incident.
As the original livestream has since been taken offline, we needed to confirm the time of the incident to file our requests. We were unable to promptly reach the individual who recorded the video or confirm the original time it was posted, so we conducted sun position analysis and placed the time of the original video at approximately 3:40-3:50 PM local time, based on the sun’s position relative to the intersection and the corner pole.
The Records Requests
On February 1st, 2026, we filed three public records requests with the City of Minneapolis:
DR26-001606 – A request for camera footage from the intersection of Franklin Ave & Nicollet Ave, 3:00-4:00 PM on January 30th, specifically requesting the westbound-facing angle be provided in high definition if available.
DR26-001607 – Any 911 call transcripts involving this vehicle from the surrounding hour.
DR26-001608 – Any police reports related to responding to this scene, as well as any previous reports involving this vehicle that might explain its condition—including whether it was impounded or towed on November 19th, and its condition at that time
We have notified the city that we will be immediately publishing this article to inform the public that these requests have been made, and when we receive a response, we will update this article with the provided information.
What We Don’t Know (Yet)
What caused the damage to the windshield and rear glass
Why the vehicle was running with no driver present
Whether this vehicle was involved in any incident related to Operation Metro Surge
The meaning of the reference number “263477” and initials “K-Y” or “K-J”
Whether or not there is a police report or other records related to the incident in the posession of the City of Minneapolis or the State of Minnesota.
Why This Matters
Minneapolis is living through an unprecedented moment. In the three weeks since ICE killed Renée Good—a U.S. citizen—on January 7th, the city has seen:
National Guard mobilization
Multiple general strikes
Over 3,000 arrests by federal agents
A federal judge finding ICE violated at least 96 court orders
The resignation of federal prosecutors from the Feeding Our Future case
The death of a second civilian, Alex Pretti
In this environment, public accountability requires documentation. When we see something that doesn’t add up—an abandoned vehicle with apparent violence damage, no police response, and impound markings from weeks earlier—we have an obligation to ask questions.
We’re not claiming this vehicle is connected to any specific incident. We’re doing what journalists and citizens should do: gathering facts, requesting records, and publishing transparently.
What Happens Next
We’ll update this article when we receive responses to our records requests. If the footage, transcripts, or reports reveal anything of public interest, we’ll report it.
If they reveal nothing—if this turns out to be an ordinary tow yard situation with a mundane explanation—we’ll report that too.
That works in both directions, and that’s why validating reports is a hallmark and a key factor of ResistMap’s National Watchcenter operations. False or incorrect information is important to confirm as true and correct information, both for public trust, but also to ensure that suspicious circumstances are fully investigated and the details revealed to the public during times of crisis.
We have the watch,
- Samantha Boucher
Founder, Arsenal PAC
If you have information about this vehicle or the scene at Franklin and La Salle on January 30th, you can reach us at watchcenter@resistmap.com
The records request filing numbers are: DR26-001606, DR26-001607, DR26-001608. A request for direct comment was also sent to the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department.
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Thank you for pursuing this. Who owns the car?