ICE Mistakenly Detains U.S. Citizen in Chicago Area, Leaving Him Injured

Q: What will the unreleased police body-camera and surveillance footage reveal about the moments leading up to the citizen's severe injuries?

The unreleased footage will most likely determine whether the man’s injuries came during a lawful detention attempt, an unnecessarily forceful takedown, or a blow after he was already under control. What is already public suggests the video could be pivotal. Surveillance footage described by CNN appears to show two agents and the man in an upright struggle before they pull him to the ground, but the critical moments then move out of frame. Witness cellphone video begins later, with the man already pinned down and repeatedly saying he is a U.S. citizen. A witness told local TV it looked like an agent hit him in the face or head, while DHS has said he was not cooperative and refused to identify himself. If the preserved body-camera, in-car and nearby surveillance footage captures the full sequence, it should help answer several disputed points: whether agents clearly identified themselves; whether the man resisted or was simply confused or frightened; whether he was struck in the head or face; how he ended up with injuries to his head, neck and teeth; whether force escalated after he said he was a U.S. citizen; and whether agents rendered aid before leaving. It may also show the role of bystanders and the timing of the agents’ departure, which police say was prompted by fears of attack after a crowd gathered. Until that footage is released or reviewed by investigators, the most important facts about how the injuries occurred remain unresolved.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 23

Evanston police said a U.S. citizen was mistakenly detained by ICE agents on Sunday and taken to a hospital with head, neck and teeth injuries after the encounter.
Five federal agents were looking for a person wanted on a warrant in the Chicago area, and told police the man resembled that target and initially refused to provide identification.
Police said agents left after determining he was a citizen; DHS said the man refused to cooperate, while a witness told local TV he said he was a U.S. citizen during the confrontation.
The agent who spoke to police had blood on his hands and said he was hurt while trying to handcuff the man; police later photographed the Evanston resident's injuries at the hospital.
The episode adds to scrutiny of enforcement tactics in the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign and came the same day ICE agents shot an immigrant in Austin, Texas.