FBI opens investigation into attack on reporter at Minneapolis anti-ICE protest
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A conservative journalist who covered the anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis said he was determined to see those responsible held accountable, warning that the attack represents a serious threat to free speech.
“This is not the right issue,” Frontlines TPUSA reporter Savanah Hernandez told Fox News Digital. “These violent extremists have been running away from lawlessness for a long time and they think this is the way they are allowed to operate now.”
Hernandez was speaking at a protest outside the Whipple Federal Building on April 11 when protesters surrounded him after learning he was affiliated with Turning Point USA, a conservative organization founded by Charlie Kirk.
He said he told the protesters that he was only there to watch and record, but the situation escalated after a protester identified as William Kelly started “screaming” at him, attracting the attention of the crowd.
TPUSA reporter Savanah Hernandez (Fox News Digital)
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Kelly, known by the internet name “DaWokeFarmer,” has participated in numerous anti-ICE protests across the country and faced charges for his alleged role in the attack on a church in St. Paul in January.
Kelly denied being violent in videos posted on social media after the incident and said he was exercising his First Amendment right to protest.
Hernandez said protesters blew horns in his face, yelled profanities and waved adult products in front of him as he tried to defend himself.
He alleges that local activist Christopher Ostroushko came up behind him, pushed him and shouted in his ear, while his daughter, Paige Ostroushko, whistled in his ear. Hernandez said that despite several attempts to leave, he was stopped and attacked several times.
TPUSA Frontlines reporter Savanah Hernandez pushed the protester to the ground (Savanah Hernandez/Frontlines TPUSA)
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“She pushed me down again. Her mother then came to accuse me of hitting her daughter and her mother decided to come and try to attack me,” said Hernandez. “I’m still walking out now and I’m telling them, don’t touch me. My dad then comes down and violently hits me from behind. I wake up and the first thing I see is Paige back in front of me. And at that point I was like, okay, I guess I’m going to have to fight my way out of this crowd because they won’t let me go.”
After what he estimated were four or five different assaults, Hernandez said a deputy came in and escorted him to a police car to protect him. He said he received minor injuries.
Hernandez said that this episode is especially surprising because in his opinion it crossed a line that should not be crossed.
“There is a part or limit that has been passed now,” he said. “Generally in the United States, generally in Western countries… it’s a very common practice for men to attack unarmed women and touch them. So the limit has been crossed with that and that’s why this was surprising to me.”
Hernandez said that this incident was not the first time he was beaten while organizing protests and that he now plans to go with security.
“The left wing has become a major instigator of violence and silencing the voice of dissent. This is nothing new, and it is an attack on our First Amendment rights,” he told Fox News Digital. “These violent extremists have been running away from lawlessness for a long time, and they think this is the way they’re allowed to operate now.”
Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies arrest a protester outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building during a protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 1, 2026. (Kerem YUCEL / AFP via Getty Images)
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Hernandez intends to pursue accountability not only for himself, but for journalists in general.
“I want full charges to be laid in every way, shape or form,” Hernandez said.
“This is not just about me,” he continued. “It doesn’t matter if you’re on the right or the left, they’ll attack you because they don’t want to be caught committing crimes… and I hope the administration understands that and uses the power of the law to bring justice.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon confirmed in X that the FBI has opened an investigation into the attack on Hernandez.
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The County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital that the case remains under investigation and recommended charges Monday against Paige Marie Ostroushko, Lorenzo Amadeo Garcia and Christopher Ostroushko in connection with the assault on the reporter.
The office also said separately, another suspect will be charged with hitting his deputy with a train horn.
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The Hennepin County District Attorney’s Office told Fox News Digital that it received three indictments on Monday, and it is “currently under review for possible charges.”
Attempts were made to contact Paige Marie Ostroushko, Lorenzo Amadeo Garcia, Christopher Ostroushko and William Kelly for comment.
