NYPD Releases Bodycam Footage of Responding Officers After ICE Shooting
The New York Police Department shared video from their officers arriving at the scene of a shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, as calls mount for ICE to release its own footage.
The New York Police Department has released body-worn camera footage from officers who responded to a shooting incident involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in New York City. The release follows public pressure for ICE to share footage of the agent involved in the shooting of 28-year-old Oscar Belgal.
The NYPD video, captured by responding officers, does not depict the shooting itself. Instead, it shows two NYPD officers arriving at a scene where a man was on the ground. The footage shows one person restraining the injured man by his neck. An ICE officer, identifiable by a neon vest and badge, was seen making a phone call and did not interact with the NYPD officers.
During the response, an NYPD officer inquired about transferring the victim to a hospital, but received no response from ICE personnel. Multiple officers then assisted in moving the injured man onto a police vehicle to transport him to the nearest hospital.
Social media videos taken from different vantage points around the time of the incident showed a shattered rear window and a bullet-pierced front window of a silver SUV. A child was observed being taken away from the scene by a plainclothes officer.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated earlier that the ICE officer involved in the shooting was equipped with a body camera and that footage related to the incident exists. Mullin indicated that information would be released as the investigation progressed.
ICE policy mandates officers to activate cameras during enforcement activities, including arrests, warrant executions, and emergency responses. In cases involving serious injury or death, an internal ICE leadership panel reviews the footage to determine release. According to ICE policies released in February 2025, this review process is intended to be completed within 72 hours of the recording or as soon as operationally feasible.
However, the release of such footage is not guaranteed. ICE policy allows for withholding footage under "specific and compelling circumstances justifying an objection to public release that cannot be resolved by redaction or other means," with the final decision resting with the ICE director. The agency also intends to redact faces and identifying information of its officers to protect their privacy, consistent with policy.
ICE has invested significant funds in equipping its officers with body-worn cameras. This initiative follows fatal shootings in Biddeford, Maine, and Houston over the summer, where the ICE officers involved were not wearing body cameras during their operations.