Video Shows Migrant Accused of Gang Ties Fleeing ICE Agents Before Being Shot in Bronx
Footage captures the moment Oscar Belgal attempted to drive away from plainclothes agents before a shot was fired, with his young son in the backseat.
New video footage shows the moments before Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot a man identified by federal authorities as Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old suspected illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic with potential gang ties. The incident occurred in the Marble Hill section of The Bronx.
The video captures Belgal accelerating his gray Honda CR-V out of a parking spot on Thursday as two plainclothes ICE agents approach the vehicle with guns drawn. One agent is seen striking and breaking the driver's side window before agents pursued Belgal. Gunshots were heard in the street shortly after, though the discharge itself is not visible in the available security camera footage.
Authorities stated that Belgal was shot in the neck and is expected to recover. His 5-year-old son was in the backseat of the SUV at the time of the incident, though ICE agents were reportedly unaware of the child's presence. The boy was unharmed.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that NYPD officers from the 50th Precinct responded to the scene after hearing reports of shots fired. Upon arrival, they encountered individuals in various attire, including construction vests and masks, with at least one person carrying a long gun.
Federal authorities maintain that Belgal "weaponized" his vehicle and accelerated towards ICE agents during the encounter. Belgal has been described by the Department of Homeland Security as a "criminal illegal alien."