Harris County Prosecutors Investigate ICE Vehicle Incident In Houston
A federal immigration enforcement vehicle struck a 48-year-old Mexican man and drove away from the scene in Houston, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare stated on Wednesday, contradicting claims by Immigration and Customs Enforcement that the man ran into the vehicle while attempting to escape. Miguel Parra Hernández underwent surgery for a broken leg following the Saturday incident, which has drawn sharp scrutiny from local prosecutors already investigating a fatal July shooting involving a federal immigration agent.
Surveillance footage shows an unmarked dark SUV accelerating toward a running man who attempts to get away, according to the Associated Press. While another vehicle blocks the exact moment of impact, the footage shows the SUV moving within inches of the fleeing man, who appears shortly afterward lying on the pavement. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told the Associated Press that the video clearly shows Parra Hernández running away before the vehicle strikes him.
Ese vehículo saltó un camellón, entró a un estacionamiento y condujo directamente hacia y sobre el señor Parra,
Teare stated, describing how the vehicle jumped a median and drove directly into the man. (That vehicle jumped a median, entered a parking lot, and drove directly toward and over Mr. Parra.
) The district attorney’s office noted that two individuals were already detained inside the SUV when the collision occurred.
Disputed Claims And Conflicting Accounts From Officials
Immigration and Customs Enforcement rejected the allegations in a written statement, calling accusations that agents intentionally struck Parra Hernández reckless and false. The agency maintained that Parra Hernández was in a vehicle alongside the target of a compliance operation, and that both men fled on foot when agents moved to make an arrest. The agency maintained that Parra Hernández ran directly in front of an agency vehicle.
Cesar Espinosa, executive director of the immigrant rights organization FIEL Houston, rejected the federal agency’s account during a Wednesday press conference. Attorneys and relatives of other individuals arrested during the Saturday operation also disputed the identity of the person federal authorities claimed was the target of the raid, stating they had never heard of anyone named José Mendoza Cervantes.
Parra Hernández has lived in the United States for 34 years after arriving from Mexico, according to Espinosa, who declined to disclose the injured man’s immigration status. Kim Bruno, an attorney representing Parra Hernández, stated during the press conference that her client remains hospitalized under ICE custody and requires an additional surgical procedure on his ankle.
Missing Evidence And Pending Criminal Charges
Harris County prosecutors are currently weighing potential criminal charges against the federal agent who drove the vehicle, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. District Attorney Sean Teare stated that investigators plan to interview the two individuals who were inside the ICE vehicle at the time of the collision before deciding on formal charges next week.
Following the collision, local law enforcement officers and district attorney investigators arrived with a tow truck to seize the ICE vehicle and download crash data. However, the driver of the vehicle drove away from the scene in the truck while it remained in possession of the ICE, according to district attorney statements. Teare explained that moving a vehicle involved in a collision overwrites or erases onboard event data recorders.
Cualquier agente del orden lo sabe. Ya sea intencionalmente o por una negligencia flagrante, el ICE destruyó evidencia potencial en este caso,
Teare said, asserting that federal authorities destroyed potential evidence either intentionally or through gross negligence. (Any law enforcement officer knows that. Whether intentionally or through gross negligence, ICE destroyed potential evidence in this case.
) Federal officials have not cooperated with the local investigation, according to the district attorney.
Previous Federal Operations And Local Investigations
The Saturday collision marks the second recent confrontation involving federal immigration enforcement under scrutiny by Harris County prosecutors.
District Attorney Sean Teare stated that federal immigration authorities ignored multiple requests for information regarding the July shooting. That encounter is one of at least ten deaths linked to interactions with immigration enforcement agents since the implementation of expanded deportation operations under the Trump administration.
Questions Regarding The Houston Immigration Operation
- What charges are prosecutors considering against the ICE agent? Harris County prosecutors are weighing charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after reviewing surveillance footage of the vehicle collision.
- What injuries did Miguel Parra Hernández sustain? The 48-year-old Mexican national suffered a broken leg requiring surgery and awaits an additional operation on his ankle while held under guard in a hospital.
- Why are local officials accusing ICE of destroying evidence? District Attorney Sean Teare stated that the vehicle involved was driven away from the scene while local authorities attempted to secure crash recorder data.
- Has the federal agency responded to the local allegations? ICE issued a statement calling allegations that agents intentionally struck the man reckless and false, maintaining that he ran into the path of the vehicle.
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