- ICE agents claimed a driver swerved towards them, but the footage tells a different story.
- It shows the driver passing the agents with ample space, contradicting ICE’s claims.
- Police sided with the driver after reviewing footage, dismissing the citation from ICE.
On January 26, ICE agents in Salt Lake City requested expedited assistance from local police after pulling over a US citizen for allegedly driving aggressively toward them during a traffic stop. However, after video footage of the interaction surfaced, the police appeared to side with the driver involved.
The entire incident happened on S 900 E street as 20-year-old Brandon Colin was leaving Walmart. As he pulled out onto the road, he noticed ICE agents detaining a woman pulled over on the side of the road. While driving by the agents, Colin honked his horn and allegedly tried to hit them. At least, that’s what the agents claimed.
The ICE Agents’ Claims vs. Video Evidence
“This gentleman right here decided to try and sideswipe us, (my partner) actually had to pull me out of the way,” one of the agents told police. This is after the agents chased down Colin and removed him from his car at gunpoint. Officers asked what the agents were hoping would happen and they responded that they hoped the officers would “do something about it.”
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Ultimately, Unified Police made it clear to the ICE agents that there was only one way forward. Since the police didn’t see the crime, the agents would need to sign legally binding affidavits about what happened. Two of the three agents involved refused to do so, prompting police to review local surveillance footage for a clearer picture of what actually happened.
The Driver’s Side of the Story
Video evidence confirmed that Colin did pass the agents, but it showed he kept several inches of space between his vehicle and the agents on the side of the road. In fact, the footage further confirmed that Colin’s Volkswagen was well clear of the adjacent bike lane, making it highly unlikely that he swerved toward the agents as they had claimed.
“During the interaction, the driver, who appeared emotional, expressed distress over alleged threats made by the ICE agents. He admitted to yelling and honking at the agents but denied swerving towards them,” Unified police stated.
The department went on to tell FOX 13 “The footage did not show the driver swerving toward the ICE agents. As a result of this review, UPD dismissed the citation issued to the driver. UPD command staff subsequently contacted ICE officials to express concerns regarding the inaccuracies and inconsistencies in their agents’ statements.”
ICE responded to the situation with the following statement:
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stresses integrity and ethical behavior, and the vast majority of ICE employees perform their duties with professionalism and honor. ICE takes very seriously all allegations of employee misconduct. Any allegations of misconduct are investigated by the appropriate agencies, and any employee who has committed provable misconduct, will be held accountable. ICE takes swift and appropriate action to investigate and cooperate with outside law enforcement agencies when allegations of criminal conduct by an employee are suspected or alleged. ICE is unable to comment any further.”
As of now, it’s unclear if any consequences will come for the agents involved in the video. We’ll provide updates as more information becomes available.