ICE officer who struck man with vehicle during pursuit in Texas indicted
TEXAS (ABC NEWS) — A Texas grand jury indicted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of intentionally striking an individual with his vehicle during a pursuit in Houston earlier this month, officials announced Friday.
The officer, Mario Alberto Morales, has been charged with second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities said the man struck by the vehicle, Miguel Parra Hernandez, suffered significant injuries, including multiple fractures to his right leg.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare alleged that Morales’ body-camera footage shows he “aggressively steered his vehicle” into Parra Hernandez.
The district attorney played graphic video from the officer’s body-worn camera alongside surveillance footage of the incident during a press briefing on Friday.
The body-camera footage appears to show Morales behind the wheel, pursuing Parra Hernandez and another individual who are fleeing on foot.
“Got a runner, got a runner,” the officer can be heard saying. “On foot. Both of them.”
Seconds later, the officer appears to turn his steering wheel toward Parra Hernandez, striking him, the video showed.
Morales is then seen approaching Parra Hernandez, who is lying on the ground crying in agony, and moving his leg.
A warrant for Morales’ arrest will be issued on Friday, according to the district attorney.
Teare said Morales was hired last year as part of a surge of ICE hires. He did not go into detail about Morales’ work history but added, “I can unequivocally tell you that I’ve reviewed thousands of job applications and resumes for law enforcement officers from around the state, and I’m not familiar with a single agency that would have hired this person based on his past.”
Morales was placed on administrative leave following the incident, ICE said.
The move is standard for all use-of-force incidents, according to an ICE spokesperson.
“This incident is under active internal investigation,” the spokesperson said in a statement on October 16.
