The police body camera footage released on Tuesday has brought to light a differing account of a recent incident involving a federal immigration agent who shot and killed a Mexican immigrant. The video shows the agent describing his own injuries during a vehicle pursuit as “nothing major,” which contrasts with the Trump administration’s portrayal of the events that took place in suburban Chicago.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the officer was “seriously injured” by Silverio Villegas González, who allegedly tried to evade arrest after agents pulled over his car in Franklin Park. Almost three hours of video and audio clips, obtained by the Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request, provide a new perspective on the shooting that has intensified tensions amid the federal immigration crackdown in the country’s third-largest city.
During the footage, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent describes the incident, stating that Villegas González attempted to run them over. The injured officer, seen walking and talking while wearing ripped jeans with blood on them, downplays the severity of his injuries, saying he “got dragged a little bit” and that his left knee injury and hand lacerations were “nothing major.”
The videos also show the first agent on the scene reporting over the radio that his partner had suffered a left knee injury and lacerations to his hands. Immigration rights advocates, Illinois’ top elected officials, and Mexico’s president have demanded a thorough investigation and increased transparency following the shooting, which led to area schools being placed on lockdown and prompted protests.
Federal officials initially stated that the agent suffered “multiple” and “serious” injuries. DHS, which has not identified either agent, stated that the injured officer who fired his weapon has been a member of ICE since 2021 and served in the military. This was his first time firing his weapon in a “use of force incident.” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem visited Chicago for an immigration operation last week, stating that the officer “sustained serious injuries” and his life was at risk. Marcos Charles, the acting head of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, met with the officer in the hospital and deemed the force used appropriate but declined further comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
The videos also reveal ICE agents performing chest compressions on an unresponsive man lying on the ground before other emergency personnel take over. Blood can be seen on the pavement. ICE operations in Chicago, where federal officials have arrested over 550 people, have drawn comparisons to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Los Angeles earlier this summer. In Los Angeles, at least two people died while attempting to evade ICE.
Villegas González, who worked as a cook, had just dropped off one of his children at daycare the morning of the shooting. DHS stated that he had a history of reckless driving and did not have legal permission to live in the US. However, the daycare’s director described Villegas González as a good father, and many Franklin Park residents remembered him as a kind family man. According to the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago, Villegas González was from the state of Michoacán in western Mexico, and they will closely monitor the investigation.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/23/ice-agent-chicago-traffic-stop
