From the HERE City National Desk
HOUSTON, Texas — Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said Tuesday that video from an Oct. 10 immigration stop makes it clear an ICE vehicle appeared to intentionally strike a man on foot, and that his office is weighing aggravated assault charges.
The crash happened about 7:30 a.m. near Highway 6 North and Clay Road. The 48-year-old man needed surgery for a broken leg and faces more operations after being hit by an ICE-driven SUV, Teare said.
Teare said investigators from his office and the Harris County Sheriff Office collected surveillance video that goes beyond clips posted online. In his view and that of other investigators, the footage shows an intentional striking that could amount to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon under Texas law.
ICE has denied the intentional-strike claim. A weekend agency statement said officers were pursuing fleeing men and that the man who was hit ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck. On Tuesday an ICE spokesperson called intentional-strike allegations reckless and false.
Teare said ICE is not cooperating with the local probe and drove the vehicle away from the scene over objections while prosecutors were drafting a search warrant for crash data, including speed, steering and braking from a data recorder. He said removing the vehicle risked erasing that evidence.
ICE said the injured man was not the target of the stop and identified another person it was seeking who had a final order of removal. Teare said two other people were already in the back seat of the ICE vehicle when the collision happened, and that his office wants material witnesses kept available. Federal officials said multiple ICE officers wore body cameras and that the agency is reviewing its own video.