Lawyers for Oscar Belgal, a man wounded by an immigration officer in New York City, stated in a court filing on Wednesday that the agent who shot him did not identify himself. According to the lawyers, the agent ran up to Mr Belgal's car, smashed a window, and then fired several shots into the vehicle while Mr Belgal's young son was in the back seat.
This account sharply contrasts with the version of events provided by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials. DHS officials have previously stated that officers opened fire only after Mr Belgal allegedly crashed his car into two government vehicles and "accelerated toward other officers".
The Legal Aid Society, in a petition filed in Brooklyn federal court, said Mr Belgal was looking for a parking spot after picking up his son from school when "an anonymous, masked man" approached his vehicle with a gun drawn. Mr Belgal's lawyers claim the men did not identify themselves or show any documents before the first man struck and shattered the driver's side window, then began firing a pistol. One bullet reportedly struck Mr Belgal in the neck.
New York City police security camera footage released last week shows some of the encounter. The video shows a man in a sweatshirt and red hat running towards the car with a gun pointed at Mr Belgal, then using the gun barrel to bash the driver's side window. A second officer then appears and draws his gun before Mr Belgal pulls into the street and out of the camera's view. The chase reportedly ended shortly after, with Mr Belgal's damaged car against a concrete barrier, showing bullet holes.
Bystander and NYPD body camera footage shows ICE officers handcuffing Mr Belgal and attending to his neck wound as he sat on the pavement. NYPD officers then took him to a hospital. DHS did not comment on the lawyers' claims on Wednesday, stating the incident is still under investigation. However, DHS officials have maintained that ICE officers fired their weapons because they believed their lives were in danger.
Mr Belgal's lawyers claim he did not learn the men were ICE officers until he woke up in the hospital. They state he remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and has not yet received surgery to remove the bullet in his neck. They also report he has lost sensation on the left side of his face and has impaired hearing. The Federal Bureau of Prisons, which manages the jail, did not immediately comment.