(Adnkronos) – Roadside check ends in tragedy in Houston. In the Hispanic neighborhood of Magnolia Park, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 55-year-old Mexican citizen without regular documents. According to the reconstruction provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), at dawn yesterday the man allegedly tried to evade the check by ramming a federal vehicle and driving his car towards an agent, who then opened fire in self-defense.
The incident provoked a strong reaction from civil rights organizations and local political figures. The League of United Latin American Citizens (Lulac), which offered a reward for any videos taken by witnesses, claims that the first images released by passers-by do not show damage consistent with a ramming on the victim’s car and has compared the case to other recent controversial incidents, including that of Renee Good, which occurred last January in Minneapolis. According to the Houston Chronicle, the community took to the streets to protest, while Democratic Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia formally requested an independent investigation and the release of all available footage.
The Houston police, led by Democratic Mayor John Whitmire, distanced themselves from the incident. The FBI is currently verifying exclusively the alleged assault on the federal agent, while the investigation into Ice’s actions is entrusted to the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security.
