Footage from a NYPD officer's body cam shows the scene after Oscar Belgal was shot by ICE agents.
Incident Overview
US immigration officials have defended the actions of officers who shot and wounded a man in his car in New York on Thursday while his five-year-old son was in the back seat. Markwayne Mullin, the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stated that officers fired their weapons while attempting to arrest a man with a criminal history.
“"We weren't aware the child was in the car," Mullin added at a news conference on Friday, arguing that it was Belgal who had put his child in danger.
Belgal is currently being held at a detention facility. The legal organization representing him informed the BBC that lawyers had not yet been able to speak to him.
Details of the Shooting
The shooting occurred in the residential neighborhood of Marble Hill. Marcos Charles, a senior ICE official present at the news conference, explained that agents attempted to stop Belgal's vehicle but he resisted orders to exit and instead accelerated, colliding with two ICE vehicles.
Charles stated:
“"Belgal then weaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate towards other officers. Our officers, using their training and believing that their life and the life of their partners in the general public were in danger, used their training and fired weapons."
The number of officers who discharged their weapons is currently under investigation. Charles mentioned that Belgal was struck superficially in the neck by one of the bullets or fragments.
Reactions from Officials
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the incident as "unconscionable and incredibly serious," noting that ICE agents surrounded Belgal's car before opening fire. He criticized the agents for wearing construction vests and masks that concealed their identities, stating:
