US Officials Defend ICE Agents Who Shot Man with Child in Car

U.S. immigration officials defended the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who shot and wounded a man in his car on Thursday, with his five-year-old son in the back seat, during an attempted arrest in New York.

Markwayne Mullin, head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), stated that officers discharged their weapons while trying to apprehend Oscar Belgal, a man with a criminal history. "We weren't aware the child was in the car," Mullin said Friday, asserting that Belgal himself endangered his child. Belgal is currently in a detention facility.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the incident as "unconscionable and incredibly serious." The shooting occurred in the Marble Hill neighborhood.

Marcos Charles, a senior ICE official, explained that agents used their vehicles to stop Belgal's car. He stated that Belgal resisted orders to exit the vehicle and instead accelerated, colliding with two ICE vehicles. Charles added that Belgal "weaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate going towards other officers." He continued, "Our officers, using their training, and believing that their life and the life of their partners in the general public were in danger, used their training and fired weapons."

The number of officers who fired their weapons is under investigation. Charles noted that Belgal sustained a superficial injury to his neck from a bullet or fragment.

Mamdani, however, stated that ICE agents surrounded Belgal's car before opening fire. He also claimed agents wore masks and construction vests that obscured their identities. Mullin countered that the officers identified themselves and were wearing activated body-worn cameras.

Video footage of the incident, including body camera recordings, has not been publicly released. However, unverified social media videos appear to corroborate Mamdani's account of the agents' attire.

Footage released by the New York Police Department (NYPD) shows officers arriving at the scene and assisting Belgal after he was shot. An ICE officer is visible wearing a high-visibility vest and carrying a firearm. NYPD officers are seen calling for an ambulance and transporting Belgal to a hospital. Mamdani reported speaking with President Donald Trump and Mullin for two hours on Thursday but failed to secure Belgal's release. He indicated he would ask Trump to halt ICE enforcement actions in New York, a request Mullin stated he would not grant.

The DHS identified Belgal, 28, as being from the Dominican Republic. His record includes a conviction for grand larceny and multiple prior arrests for assault, robbery, drug possession, and weapons possession. He was arrested in New York in December 2023 and released shortly thereafter, according to the DHS. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned a pending case against Belgal for criminal sale of a controlled substance.

The DHS also alleges Belgal has ties to the Trinitarios, a group described by the U.S. Justice Department as a transnational criminal organization. Mullin suggested that Belgal possesses knowledge related to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer shooting, making him a target.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul echoed concerns, calling for a swift explanation from federal officials. "New Yorkers have witnessed far too many acts of violence by a rogue federal agency and untrained agents that operate with impunity," Hochul stated, adding she had also spoken with Mullin and Trump.

This incident follows several other high-profile shootings involving ICE officers this year, including one in Minneapolis in January that resulted in a death.