ICE Officer Indicted for Allegedly Striking Man During Pursuit

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer accused of intentionally striking a man in Houston earlier this month is expected to surrender to authorities on Monday morning, according to his attorney, David Lindenmuth.

Mario Alberto Morales was indicted by a grand jury in Houston on a charge of second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the Harris County District Attorney's Office announced. Lindenmuth stated that Morales did not intend to strike Miguel Parra Hernandez when he was pursuing him and another individual who were attempting to flee on foot on October 10.

During a press briefing on Friday, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare alleged that Morales' body-camera footage shows the officer "aggressively steered his vehicle" into Parra Hernandez. Teare played graphic video from the officer's body-worn camera alongside surveillance footage of the incident.

The body-camera footage appears to show Morales behind the wheel, pursuing Parra Hernandez and another person who are running. The officer can be heard saying, "Got a runner, got a runner. On foot. Both of them." Seconds later, the footage shows the officer appearing to turn his steering wheel to the left. Authorities state this is when the vehicle struck Parra Hernandez before coming to a stop.

Morales is then seen approaching Parra Hernandez, who is on the ground in pain, and moving his leg. Lindenmuth, responding to the video, said Morales had two detainees in the back of his vehicle and was attempting to avoid striking another vehicle, and did not intend to hit Parra Hernandez.

"Clearly there is contact but the contact wasn’t intentional. It wasn’t knowingly," Lindenmuth said. "It was in reaction to him trying not to strike a vehicle." He added that he believes the charges are politically motivated, calling it an attempt "to score political points right before elections."

Lindenmuth described Morales as a decorated military veteran and a Christian pastor who does missionary work. He stated that Morales served in the army as a paratrooper, was formerly a corrections officer, and worked as a detention and processing officer at the Port Isabel Detention Center before joining ICE as a federal immigration officer in August 2025.

Conversely, Teare stated that "The evidence that we have in this case is as clear as any that I've ever prosecuted or investigated."

Kim Bruno, an attorney representing Parra Hernandez, said her client suffered fractures and nerve damage, requiring surgery following the incident. "All he wants is accountability," Bruno said. "He wants assurance that this will not happen to anybody else." Parra Hernandez is currently detained and remains in federal custody at a rehabilitation facility.