ICE Shooting in NYC Sparks Outrage, Officials Trade Blame
Bodycam footage released by NYPD shows the moments after an ICE agent shot a man who allegedly rammed government vehicles, prompting criticism from city and state officials.
New York City authorities have released bodycam footage from the NYPD showing the arrest of Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old Dominican man, moments after he was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in the Bronx. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon in the Marble Hill neighborhood.
According to ICE official Marcos Charles, Belgal "weaponized his vehicle" by accelerating and ramming two ICE vehicles before heading towards other officers. Charles stated that ICE officers feared for their safety and the public's, leading them to fire their weapons. Belgal sustained a bullet wound to the neck and survived. He was treated in a hospital and subsequently taken to an ICE facility.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin defended the operation, asserting that Belgal was a threat to the community and had previously evaded law enforcement in September. Mullin added that ICE agents were unaware a child was present in Belgal's vehicle at the time of the shooting. "Oscar knew he had a child in the car and he chose to accelerate the car at a high speed and ram two vehicles and it appears to be going towards officers," Mullin said, directing outrage towards Belgal for endangering his five-year-old son.
The child, who was in the car with Belgal, was unharmed and is currently in the care of relatives. Belgal is described by DHS as a "criminal illegal alien" with a conviction for grand larceny and multiple prior arrests for assault, robbery, drug possession, and weapons possession, as well as alleged associations with the Trinitarios gang. DHS stated Belgal was arrested by the NYPD on December 7, 2023, but was released days later due to "reckless Democrat sanctuary policies."
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the shooting as an "outrage," stating, "There is no justification for what we have seen today." He called for ICE to be removed from the city's streets, schools, and hospitals and criticized the federal officers for wearing construction vests and masks, making them difficult to identify.
Governor Kathy Hochul also expressed outrage and urged the Trump administration to halt ICE enforcement operations in New York and release bodycam footage of the incident. "New Yorkers are outraged tonight. Immigrant communities are terrified. And we are demanding answers," Hochul stated, emphasizing the potential for tragedy when agents fire into a vehicle with a child inside. She indicated that New Yorkers have witnessed "far too many acts of violence by a rogue federal agency and untrained agents that operate with impunity."
ICE has not publicly released its own bodycam footage of the incident. Belgal was treated for his injuries and is reportedly being detained in an ICE facility in another state.