Aggressively Steered': Video Shows ICE Officer Run Over a Fleeing Mexican National's Legs in Texas

A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer was indicted in Harris County, Texas, on Friday, 30 October, after allegedly deliberately striking a fleeing Mexican man with his SUV during an immigration operation in Houston.

Mario Alberto Morales faces an aggravated assault charge involving a deadly weapon after the 10 October incident left construction worker Miguel Parra-Hernandez, 48, with a broken leg.

The indictment followed an investigation into surveillance footage showing an unmarked vehicle pursuing Parra-Hernandez through a car park in northwest Houston.

Prosecutors allege that Morales intentionally steered towards the fleeing man, contradicting ICE's account that he had stepped into the vehicle's path.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare announced the indictment alongside Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. The case raises questions about the collision itself and the federal agency's response to requests for evidence.

ICE Officer Accused of Steering SUV Towards Fleeing Man

The incident unfolded on 10 October near Clay Road and Highway 6, where immigration officers were pursuing a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.

According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by Houston television station KPRC, the pickup stopped after travelling the wrong way along part of Clay Road. Its occupants then fled on foot.

Morales subsequently drove his Jeep Grand Cherokee across a median towards the fleeing men, according to the affidavit.

Surveillance footage shows two men running in different directions after leaving the pickup. An unmarked black SUV then follows one of them through the parking area.

An investigator reviewing the footage reported that Morales accelerated and turned towards Parra-Hernandez, positioning the SUV in his path before the collision. The investigator's interpretation formed part of the evidence gathered for the criminal investigation.

The precise moment of impact is partly obscured in surveillance footage. However, body-camera video released during Friday's announcement provides another perspective on the incident.

The footage shows Morales driving, making sharp steering movements and subsequently approaching Parra-Hernandez, who is lying injured on the ground.

According to the Associated Press, Morales can be heard acknowledging that his vehicle struck the man. In one recorded exchange, he says, 'I was coming in and I hit him with the car.'

Parra-Hernandez suffered multiple fractures to his right leg and an ankle injury. His family said he required surgery following the collision.

Teare has repeatedly rejected ICE's explanation that the collision was accidental.

Speaking to ABC13 on 13 October, the district attorney said, 'This was an intentional strike. This was not an accident in any way, shape, or form.'

His allegation remains contested, and the indictment does not establish Morales's guilt.

ICE Officer Indictment Draws Denial From Federal Authorities

ICE has strongly disputed the prosecution's interpretation of the evidence. The agency maintained that Parra-Hernandez stepped into the vehicle's path and rejected suggestions that Morales deliberately struck him.

In a statement reported by the Associated Press, ICE described allegations of intentional conduct as 'RECKLESS and FALSE'. It also characterised the indictment as politically motivated and questioned local authorities' power to investigate federal officers acting in their official capacity.

Morales's lawyer also rejected the accusation, describing the collision as accidental and saying the officer swerved to avoid a truck.

The defence's account differs from prosecutors' interpretation of the footage. The competing explanations will be central to the criminal proceedings.

The investigation has also encountered disagreements over access to physical evidence.

According to court documents obtained by KPRC, investigators secured a warrant to examine the Jeep Grand Cherokee involved in the collision.

A filing dated 23 October indicated that federal authorities had acknowledged receiving the warrant but had not provided local investigators access to the vehicle.

Investigators sought evidence, including electronic vehicle data, that could help establish the SUV's movements before the collision.

ICE Officer's Indictment Raises Questions About Immigration Operation

Questions have also emerged about the immigration operation that preceded the incident. ICE identified Jose Mendoza-Cervantes as its intended target, saying he was subject to a deportation order and believed to have been travelling in the pickup.

However, Mendoza-Cervantes's daughter reportedly told immigration advocates that her father died in 2017. Parra-Hernandez's relatives also disputed the agency's identification of the person travelling with him.

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors said their investigation had not established that Parra-Hernandez was travelling with the man identified by ICE. The agency had not publicly addressed the reported death as of Friday.

Parra-Hernandez remained in immigration custody while recovering from his injuries, according to the Associated Press. Advocates working with his family have called for his release.

Morales was not in custody when prosecutors announced the indictment on Friday. Teare said an arrest warrant would be issued and confirmed that his office had communicated with the officer's lawyer.

The reported second-degree felony charge carries a possible prison sentence of two to 20 years upon conviction.

The indictment is a formal criminal accusation, and Morales is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.