ICE Officer Involved in Vehicle Incident Placed on Leave
Agency confirms standard procedure follows incident where man was struck by vehicle during pursuit near Houston.
An Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer involved in an incident last weekend where a man was allegedly struck by a vehicle during a pursuit outside Houston has been placed on administrative leave.
The agency stated that this is standard procedure for all use-of-force incidents and that the matter is under active internal investigation.
The incident occurred on Saturday when Miguel Parra-Hernandez was struck by a vehicle operated by an ICE agent. According to the agency, the officer was attempting to arrest Parra-Hernandez and another suspect. Parra-Hernandez, whom ICE alleges is undocumented, sustained injuries to his legs and is hospitalized, according to the Harris County District Attorney's office. District Attorney Sean Teare reported that Parra-Hernandez suffered three fractures to his leg and has undergone two surgeries.
As of Thursday, Parra-Hernandez had not been charged by any law enforcement agency, the DA's office confirmed.
ICE stated that its officer was pursuing Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, a Mexican national with an alleged criminal record and a final order of removal. The agency reported that Mendoza-Cervantes entered a vehicle with Parra-Hernandez, and when the ICE officer attempted to stop the vehicle, both individuals fled on foot. Surveillance video reviewed by ABC News appears to show the ICE vehicle moving toward and then striking a man who was running.
An ICE spokesperson asserted that Parra-Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle, calling allegations of intentional striking "reckless and false" and emphasizing that ICE officers uphold high standards.
Mendoza-Cervantes remains at large.
The Harris County District Attorney's office is investigating the incident. Teare told ABC News that his office may pursue criminal charges against the ICE officer. The DA's office stated that two individuals were allegedly detained by the ICE agent and were in the back of the ICE officer's vehicle at the time of the incident. Teare indicated that his office interviewed one of these witnesses before their deportation and believes the ICE officer intentionally struck Parra-Hernandez.