CNN reporter chokes on tear gas during live coverage of Minneapolis protest: Watch what happened and why it matters

CNN correspondent Sara Sidner was forced off air after she began coughing violently and gasping for breath when tear gas filled the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota, while she was reporting live on protests on January 24, 2026. The incident occurred amid a surge of demonstrations and clashes between federal agents and protesters following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by a federal immigration agent earlier that day, a confrontation that sparked widespread outrage across the city and beyond.

Sidner’s live report, part of CNN’s "CNN News Central" coverage, was cut away by the studio after she repeatedly struggled to continue. Viewers heard her say, “I’m trying to breathe. Hold on,” before the scene was replaced, as thick clouds of tear gas made it difficult for her and her photographer to function.



Sidner described the military-grade gas as “extreme,” urgently telling her colleagues that they needed to move indoors as the chemical agents intensified around them.

She later reappeared during the broadcast and appeared largely recovered, reporting while positioned between protesters and law enforcement officers. However, when CNN attempted to return to her live shortly afterward, Sidner was again caught in another wave of gas.

Viewers watched as she struggled to speak, repeatedly choking and gasping for air before the network cut back to the newsroom once more.

Why protests erupted

The protests stemmed from deepening unrest in Minneapolis related to federal immigration enforcement efforts which began in late 2025 and expanded sharply in January 2026.

The fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident by federal immigration officers further inflamed tensions in a city already on edge over federal law-enforcement actions.

According to Department of Homeland Security officials, the fatal incident occurred during a targeted operation against an individual believed to be an undocumented immigrant wanted for violent assault, during which the man allegedly approached federal Border Patrol agents with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the use of “defensive shots” after a struggle, claiming the agent fired while fearing for his life and the safety of others.

Local authorities, however, reported that the man was a 37-year-old US citizen and lawful gun owner, identified later in the day as Alex Pretti, a registered nurse.

Earlier in the month, 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during an enforcement action that sparked widespread demonstrations and calls for accountability.