CHICAGO — A video recently emerged online showing a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shooting Reverend David Black in the head with a pepper ball. Black is a minister at First Presbyterian Church of Chicago who was leading prayer at a peaceful protest outside an ICE facility in Broadview, IL.
Black was wearing black clothing with a white clerical collar that clearly marked him as a man of the cloth. Firing from a rooftop, the officer hit Black with several shots elsewhere before he fell to his knees after one hit him on the crown of his head. The incident has led Black to join a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging violations of First Amendment rights and religious freedoms due to what activists describe as a pattern of excessive force to suppress dissent.
"I extended my arms, palms outstretched toward the ICE officers, in a traditional Christian posture of prayer and blessing," Black said in a statement released by the ACLU condemning the brutal crackdown on First Amendment rights by ICE agents. "Without any warning, and without any order or request that I and others disperse, I was suddenly fired upon by ICE officers. In rapid fire, I was hit seven times on my arms, face, and torso with exploding pellets that contained some kind of chemical agent. It was clear to me that the officers were aiming for my head, which they struck twice."
Black said that the agents laughed during the incident. While he sustained no serious injuries from the impact, Black said he continues to suffer from respiratory issues.
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jimandlope
I believe that one of the criteria of becoming an Ice agent is to be cruel. Time after time we see videos of these agents deliberately attempting to hurt people that they apprehend or simply push away. If a police officer in any US metropolis acted like this they would be relieved of duty, suspended or fired. Often President Trump has cited the need to protect federal buildings such as Ice facilities, from attackers. We should instead be protected from Ice.jim Tierney
Friday, October 10 Report this
Lktinsanfran
The ICE agents are probably January 6 rioters. No wonder Trumpy pardoned them. Every single day I am appalled by his cruel behavior and it is only getting worse.
Friday, October 10 Report this
Cat L
These ice agents are terribly violent people, which was the point. They should be in jail. This is not who we are
Saturday, October 11 Report this