ICE officer indicted on assault charge after allegedly hitting man with car

A grand jury in Texas has indicted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon over an incident in which he allegedly struck a man with his vehicle earlier this month.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office said officer Mario Alberto Morales was driving an unmarked black SUV on October 10 when he allegedly hit 48-year-old Miguel Parra Hernandez, who was running away on foot.

Parra Hernandez suffered injuries to his hip, leg and ankle, including a broken leg. He was later taken into custody and is currently staying at a rehabilitation facility under ICE custody, District Attorney Sean Teare said.

At a news conference on Friday, Teare played body camera footage recorded by another officer. The video showed the driver turning the steering wheel sharply to the left, followed by the sound of a siren.

Parra Hernandez is then seen lying face down on the road before the officer turns him over.

"You ran over me," he says.

ICE had earlier offered a different account of the incident. In a statement issued after the collision, the agency said Parra Hernandez "ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck".

Also Read: Evacuations begin in war-torn Oleshky under localised Russia-Ukraine ceasefire brokered by Melania Trump

ICE officer faces criminal charges

The case was brought by Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, a Democrat. He is also investigating the fatal shooting of a Mexican homebuilder in July, which led to protests in Houston, the country's fourth-largest city.

Criminal charges against federal officers over their actions during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown have been relatively rare, although some incidents have faced investigations.

ICE operations have also faced criticism in Minnesota following several high-profile encounters involving federal agents.

The controversy grew after the fatal shootings of Minneapolis residents Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, as well as the non-fatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in a case of mistaken identity.

Reports of warrantless entries, aggressive traffic stops and mass detentions have also led to civil rights protests, street clashes and blockades by local activist groups, including Direct Action Minnesota.