Early Friday morning, 12 September, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed a man during a traffic stop in Franklin Park, Chicago. The individual was identified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez.
At first, ICE tried to claim that Villegas-Gonzalez drove into the arresting agent, making him fear for his life. However, surveillance footage has emerged which appears to directly contradict ICE’s story.
Surveillance videos shown ICE is lying
News broadcaster WGN9 originally reported that:
ICE stated that they were conducting law enforcement activity in the 9800 block of Grand Avenue and subsequently conducted a vehicle stop. A man resisted and attempted to drive his vehicle into the arresting team, according to ICE.
The agent was dragged, according to ICE.
The agent discharged his firearm and struck the man driving. Both the man and the agent were transported to a local hospital.
ICE reportedly claimed that the agent only shot because he “feared for his life”.
However, new surveillance videos showed two ICE agents, one on either side of the car, apparently attempting to arrest Villegas-Gonzalez. The car then reverses, with the agents trying to hold onto the windows. The footage then sees the car driving away forwards, and there is no evidence that either agent was hurt.
The footage does not show the moment when the one of the agents actually shot the driver. His car then crashed into a truck on Grand Avenue. Witnesses took photos of the scene, where the agents reportedly tried to provide first aid. However, Villegas-Gonzalez was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at the hospital.
ICE officers also claimed that Villegas-Gonzalez had a history of reckless driving. However, WGN found just four relatively minor traffic offences in his history. These included one speeding ticket and a violation of a muffler ordinance.
‘Due process would have avoided all of this’
Tricia McLaughlin, deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, put out a statement:
Viral social media videos and activists encouraging illegal aliens to resist law enforcement not only spread misinformation, but also undermine public safety, as well as the safety of our officers and those being apprehended.
A neighbour pointed out that Silverio was likely scared by the officer, as he didn’t speak any English. Gonzalez’ girlfriend said that he had two children and worked at a local restaurant. His son Marco said:
He worked two jobs, would do anything for us. He panicked-that’s not a crime.
Protesters began to gather on the scene of the shooting not long after it occurred. They held up signs reading “Respect our existence or expect our resistance” and “End detention, welcome immigrants”. A spokesperson told reporters that:
We need to know exactly what happened here today. We need to make sure that the government is being transparent, and that we are able to hold the government accountable for their actions.
…Due process would have avoided all of this”
‘Department of state terror’
US representative Delia Ramirez, an Illinois Democrat, stated that she is demanding a thorough investigation of events that led to the shooting of Villegas-Gonzalez. She also called for community unity, and condemned the actions of ICE:
The department that is responsible for protecting the people from foreign terror has become the department of state terror.
ICE activity in Chicago is currently massively increased due to a Trump-ordered ‘crackdown’ on illegal immigration. The DHS is referring to ICE’s current operation as “Midway Blitz”, and stated that it will “”will target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Chicago”.
However, as if any more proof to the contrary were needed, the security footage apparently exposing ICE’s lies in the shooting of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez shows that the agency is both indiscriminate and dangerous in its violence towards its victims.
Featured image via the Canary
This post was originally published on Canary.