Couple and daughter charged with assaulting Turning Point USA reporter outside federal building in Minnesota

Paul Walsh, Star Tribune on Apr 29, 2026

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MINNEAPOLIS — Court documents unsealed on April 29 show that federal prosecutors have charged a husband, his wife and their daughter in connection with a raucous anti-ICE demonstration earlier this month outside the Whipple Federal Building, where a conservative political reporter was twice shoved to the ground.

The clash on April 11 led to at least four people being arrested and Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez posting video to X of the scene. Hernandez said she was “mobbed and assaulted” by people protesting ICE’s long-running immigration enforcement campaign in Minnesota.

Video of the encounter quickly circulated on news outlets across the country, and conservative news organizations in particular have continued to question why no charges had been filed against the four who were arrested.

Charged April 28 in U.S. District Court were Christopher Ostroushko, 51, and Deyanna Marie Ostroushko, 46, both of Prior Lake; and 20-year-old daughter Paige Ostroushko. The father and daughter were two of the primary verbal and physical combatants who sent Hernandez off her feet, video from numerous sources showed.

The father and daughter were charged with interference with a federally protected activity and assault, while Deyanna Ostroushko was charged with assault. All three were charged by summons and have a May 12 court date scheduled.

“These deplorable actions as charged in the indictment will not be tolerated in America, and this Department of Justice will always punish unhinged acts of political violence” said acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche in a post on X.

On X, Hernandez said upon hearing about the charges, “I’m EXTREMELY grateful to the DOJ for moving so swiftly on this.”

In the meantime, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has been considering whether to charge the Ostroushkos or anyone else stemming from the clash 2½ weeks ago.

James Cook, an attorney for the family, said the husband and wife have lost their jobs over the allegations, and their daughter’s pursuit of a professional soccer career is now in jeopardy.

Going forward, Cook added, “We will ensure that they are fully represented.”

Paige Ostroushko has contended that the incident was ignited when Hernandez laughed about sexual assaults occurring in ICE detention centers. The incident left her with head, neck and knee injuries, she said.

“This led to emotional distress and a confrontation,” Ostroushko wrote on a fundraising page she started on her behalf. “The situation escalated, and at one point, I experienced physical contact and believed I was being assaulted, including being struck several times. In response, I acted in what I believed was self-defense in the moment.”

Her father has been a social media magnet since Jan. 14, the night a Venezuelan immigrant was shot by an ICE officer in north Minneapolis. Christopher Ostroushko gave a man-on-the-street perspective that night to the online news outlet Status Coup as protesters and federal agents faced off nearby.

That interview turned him into the “Minnesota angry man” and earned him thousands of new followers on social media. His daughter then dubbed him “a random suburban guy in construction.”

More than 100 people gathered for the protest outside the Whipple Building, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said.

Video from musician Oskar Quentin showed people blowing whistles and horns close to Hernandez’s face as she walked away, brushing them aside with her hand. Paige Ostroushko blew a whistle full blast inches from Hernandez’s left ear, prompting a grimace from the Turning Point commentator.

In the video, Paige Ostroushko kept coming at Hernandez, throwing a punch before pushing her into a chain-link fence.

Once back on her feet, Hernandez yelled, “Stop touching me ... I’m trying to leave.”

Quentin tried to restore order, yelling, “It’s over, it’s over.”

But a second or two later, Christopher Ostroushko can be seen on the video shoving Hernandez to the ground from behind with both hands.

Paige Ostroushko, one other person and Hernandez tangled on the pavement until several protesters separated them. Hernandez, surrounded by taunting protesters, was led to deputies, who escorted her away.

The next day, Hernandez posted on X that she was “doing OK” after the incident. “My legs are scraped and my neck and back are sore, but I’m safe.”

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Sarah Nelson of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.

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