Residents of Manhattan’s Marble Hill neighborhood expressed their anger and fear on Friday after a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot their neighbor, Oscar Belgal, 28, while his child was in the back of his car. The incident occurred on Thursday night at the corner of 225th St and Marble Hill Avenue.
Incident Overview
Orlando Perez, a local resident, witnessed the arrest and shooting. He described the scene, stating, "I thought I was going to get shot." The streets were quieter than usual on Friday, following protests that erupted the night before. Perez noted that the agents involved in the arrest were not wearing uniforms or visible identification, leading to confusion among bystanders about their identity.
Footage from the aftermath showed a man in a high-visibility vest, possibly with a badge, carrying an assault-style rifle. Perez observed that the car driven by Belgal had bullet holes in it, raising questions about the agents' awareness of the child in the vehicle. "ICE had to see that the kid was inside," he asserted.
Community Reactions
Markwayne Mullin, the homeland security secretary, stated in a press conference that federal officers were unaware of the child’s presence in the car. However, local residents, including Zachary Miller, who heard six gunshots during the incident, condemned ICE's actions. Miller, a 20-year resident of Marble Hill, remarked, "I don’t see him doing something like this," referring to Belgal's alleged gang affiliations.
