DHS officials defend their actions in shooting of NYC immigrant amid outcry

Senior Homeland Security officials defended the ICE officers involved in the shooting of a Dominican man, who was wounded in the presence of his 5-year-old son, in New York City on Thursday.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin blamed the man who was shot, Oscar Bergal, for endangering the life of the child, who was seating in the back seat of Bergal’s car.

“We weren’t aware the child was in the car. I can tell you that, but you know who was? Oscar. Oscar knew he had a child in his car,” Mullin said in a press briefing Friday at ICE’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

US-IMMIGRATION-ICE — A scene of the incident on Thursday in New York City after ICE officers shot Oscar Bergal. Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty

According to a timeline of events provided by Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Marcos Charles during the briefing, ICE officers tried to arrest Bergal, 28, on Thursday afternoon.

To conduct the arrest, the ICE officers used two vehicles to block Bergal’s car. After he refused orders to exit his car, Bergal accelerated and smashed into the ICE vehicles, Charles said.

Charles said Bergal “then weaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate, going towards other officers.” The officers responded by firing their weapons, believing “that their life and the life of the partners and general public were in danger,” he said.

Bergal stopped his car after he was “struck by one of the bullets or fragments superficially in the neck,” Charles said. “We arrested him, rendered first aid, and then took him to the hospital.”

Body camera footage from the New York City police officers who responded to the shooting show they were the ones who transported Bergal to the hospital to receive medical care. The NYPD has said they were not involved in Bergal’s immigration arrest.

As of Thursday night, Bergal was in stable condition,according toNYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

The incident sparked public outcry in New York City, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying on Thursday night that “there is no explanation for federal officers firing this many rounds into a car that has a 5-year-old in the car.”

Protests erupted shortly after the shooting in Marble Hill and five people were taking into custody on Thursday night, according to the NYPD. More protests are expected on Friday evening.

During the briefing, Mullin said that outrage should be directed “towards this criminal” and not his agency.

According to authorities, Bergal was previously arrested for robbery, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny and received five years probation. He also has a pending case for criminal sale of a controlled substance.

Charles said Bergal evaded officers last month when ICE tried to arrest him for deportation.

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