Immigration Agents Shoot Man in New York With Five-Year-Old Child in His Car
In the Bronx, New York, agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency shot and wounded a 28-year-old Dominican Republic national during an arrest operation; his five-year-old son was in the car. The mayor and governor are demanding an end to the operations and an independent investigation.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot a 28-year-old Dominican Republic national during a detention operation in Marble Hill, in New York's Bronx borough, shortly after 4 p.m. on Thursday, 8 October. A five-year-old child was also in his car and was not hurt, CNN reported. The incident has drawn a sharp political response, as it came in a week when ICE leadership, according to CNN, ordered agents to raise the number of detainees by a further 1,000 people a day.
What happened
The man was identified as Oscar Belgal, and the child is believed to be his son. He suffered a neck wound and was taken to hospital, while the child is in the care of family members. Police determined that one agent fired seven times, and a bullet struck the driver in the neck below the left ear. Seven casings were found at the scene, and the car showed bullet damage.
Differing accounts
ICE spokesman Marcos Charles said federal agents blocked the man's vehicle with their cars, but he refused to get out, rammed two agency vehicles and then drove quickly toward other agents. The agency says it believed the lives of agents and bystanders were at risk. Two agents were also injured.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, citing surveillance camera footage, said the man was initially reversing to park. A federal agent in plain clothes then approached with a drawn weapon, while another agent moved toward the front of the car. The vehicle began moving forward and left the camera's view. The shooting itself is not visible in the footage.
Reaction
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani sharply criticized the incident, saying the agents wore construction vests and face masks, so they could not be recognized as immigration officers. He spoke with President Trump and US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, demanding that ICE operations in the city stop and the detainee be released, but the talks produced no result. Governor Kathy Hochul and local officials are calling for the agents' camera footage to be released and for an independent investigation. Protesters gathered at the scene.
The US Department of Homeland Security alleges that Belgal is linked to the criminal group "Trinitarios" and had previously been detained on several charges; the New York police confirmed two earlier arrests. He has been handed over to ICE and is held at a detention center outside New York. The agency intends to seek his deportation from the US as soon as possible.
