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Summary of article:
A 20-year-old American high school student in California was stopped and handcuffed by ICE agents while walking to school. Although he was later released, his family and lawyers said he suffered a broken wrist and had to undergo surgery. After this incident, Congress and local governments demanded an investigation.
A 20-year-old high school student from Santa Maria, California was walking his usual route to school when he was arrested along the way.migrant and Bureau of Customs Enforcement (snow ) The agent pushed him to the ground, handcuffed him and took him away. is a studentAmerican citizen Detectives confirmed his identity and released him. The Guardian recently revealed footage of the incident and statements from both sides. ICE has denied that the student suffered a broken bone, but the student’s attorney said hospital records show he had surgery for his broken wrist.
The incident occurred on 21 October. The man involved, Eric Zepeda, had physical reactions and verbal communication difficulties. He said in a written interview that he was going to school as usual that day, but suddenly ICE agents assaulted him and handcuffed him. He said he thought he was going to be killed and hoped others would not have to have the same experience again.
The Guardian reviewed dashcam and cellphone video taken by a volunteer. The video shows two masked agents get out of the car and quickly approach Zepeda walking down the sidewalk from behind. One of them touches her arm, and Zepeda shakes it before turning away from the camera. In the next video, Zepeda is lying face down on the grass, two agents restraining him, and three more agents arrive. He was then taken away in a law enforcement vehicle. There was more than ten seconds between the two videos and volunteers said they did not see Zepeda protest during this time.
According to the volunteer’s account, the detective drove Zepeda around for a while and then asked him to get out of the car. At that point he had bruises on his eyes and severe pain in his wrists, but he still completed the remaining half mile. After reaching the school, the school called an ambulance for him.
ICE said agents were conducting a targeted operation and believed Zepeda fit the profile of a target. ICE said agents restrained Zepeda when he refused to comply and raised his fists in a confrontational gesture. ICE denied that Zepeda suffered a fracture and said he did not request medical attention at the time. Zepeda’s attorney said that hospital records confirmed that Zepeda had surgery for his broken wrist after the incident.
Local Democratic Congressman Representative Salud Carbajal sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE on October 29 demanding a comprehensive and transparent investigation. Santa Maria Police Chief Christopher Williams said the investigation is ongoing and the police department has notified the county attorney, California Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security about the incident.
Zepeda’s former special education teacher, Glenn Goldin, said that Zepeda had only worked up the courage to walk to school last year and that he was always proud of being able to do so independently. After the incident, he was still haunted by fear and planned to return to school in a few weeks.
Summary FAQ
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The person involved is Eric Zepeda, a 20-year-old high school student in Santa Maria, California, who is a US citizen. On the day of the incident, he was walking his usual route to school, but on the way he was subdued by ICE agents and taken away in handcuffs.
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ICE said agents were conducting a target-specific operation and believed Zepeda fit the profile of the target. They also said he refused to follow orders and became confrontational, so they subdued him and released him after confirming his identity.
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The issue is whether Zepeda was injured as a result of law enforcement misconduct, as ICE denied the fracture occurred, but lawyers said hospital records show his wrist was broken and he had surgery. After the incident, lawmakers demanded an investigation and the city police department has informed multiple agencies.
