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ICE agent filmed mowing down migrant with unmarked SUV, then saying ‘Yeah you got hit with a car, bro’ as victim lay howling in pain
An ICE agent in Houston was indicted after video showed him driving an unmarked SUV into a man who was running away during a pursuit. The case matters because prosecutors say the footage contradicts ICE’s account that the man ran in front of the vehicle, while the agent’s lawyer says the collision was an accident.
The incident took place on 10 October and involved agent Mario Alberto Morales, 33, and construction worker Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, who broke a leg and was recovering in a rehabilitation facility while in federal custody. Morales turned himself in after a grand jury charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; he denies the charge, posted $30,000 bond and remains employed by ICE. His lawyers have accused the district attorney of political motives, which the prosecutor denies, and Morales is due back in court on 2 December.
In short
- Video shows an ICE agent striking a fleeing man with an unmarked SUV.
- The injured man broke a leg and was recovering in federal custody.
- The agent denies aggravated assault; his next court date is 2 December.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The indictment and video may support the view that the agent used his vehicle in a way that endangered a man who was fleeing, and that the public interest requires a thorough criminal investigation. If the footage contradicts the agency’s account, accountability could help maintain trust that law enforcement is subject to the same standards as others.
The case against
The agent’s lawyer says the collision was accidental, and an indictment is an allegation rather than proof of guilt; the case should be decided on the evidence in court. The defence also raises concern that prosecutorial decisions can be politically motivated, so the process should be demonstrably impartial and allow the agent a fair chance to answer the charge.