What to Know
- José Mejía Hernandez was on his way to work Aug. 11 when, he says, he was approached by two people he did not know were federal agents.
- He says he tried to run away but the agents assaulted him, resulting in a hospitalization and a brain injury.
- ICE says he tried to evade arrest and agents used necessary force to take him into custody.
- Mejía Hernandez is from Mexico and is in the U.S. without documentation.
- Last week, he and his attorneys filed a report with Arlington County police, calling for the agents involved to be criminally prosecuted.
Arlington County police say they have opened a criminal investigation into allegations of violent crimes by ICE agents against Jose Mejia Hernandez last month.
Mejía Hernandez was walking to work in Arlington, Virginia, on Aug. 11 when he says he was approached by two people he did not know were federal agents. He says he tried to run away but the agents assaulted him, resulting in a brain injury.
ICE disputes that account, saying Mejía Hernandez tried to evade arrest and that agents used necessary force to take him into custody.
Arlington County Police confirms that its detectives met with Mejia Hernandez who filed a police report alleging violations of Virginia Code § 18.2-51.2 Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Virginia Code § 18.2-51 Malicious Wounding, § 46.2-894 Failure of Driver In Accident to Stop, Virginia Code §46.2-852/853 Reckless Driving, and Virginia Code §18.2-57 Assault and Battery.
“The investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing,” Arlington County police said.
Last Friday, Mejía Hernandez and his attorneys went to Arlington County police headquarters to file a report and called for the agents involved to be criminally prosecuted.
Mejía Hernandez’s attorneys say they received video from people who started recording after their client was taken into custody by federal immigration agents. The video begins with him on the ground, with his face bloody and bruised, but does not show what happened to him to cause the injuries. Minutes later in the video, agents are seen helping Mejía Hernandez to his feet. He appears unsteady as agents surround him before the video ends.
His face was still visibly bruised weeks later.
He says he can’t sleep, that it’s hard for him to eat and he feels scared. He said he was hospitalized after the incident and that he suffered a brain injury. He says he doesn’t remember what exactly happened after he was stopped by agents, only that he recalls waking up in the hospital.
News4 has not been able to independently confirm or review medical documentation that supports this claim.
Mejía Hernandez is from Mexico and is in the United States without documentation. He has been placed in deportation proceedings. His attorney says he has an immigration court hearing set for Sept. 14.
In the days following the incident, ICE said in a statement sent to News4 that Mejía Hernandez tried to run from the scene, requiring what they called “necessary force” to gain control of the situation. ICE says allegations that he was unconscious and woke up in a hospital bed are false.
Arlington County police told News4 last week that detectives met with Mejía Hernandez.
News4 has reached out to ICE requesting comment on the opened criminal investigation.
A group of Democratic Virginia lawmakers released a statement Friday saying they support decision by Arlington police to open the investigation, calling it “essential to establishing how José Mejía Hernandez suffered serious injuries.”
“It is unfortunate that the Trump Administration has abandoned its responsibilities to hold federal agents under their command accountable, leaving state and local jurisdictions to do the job the Administration refuses to do to maintain law and order and protect the public. That failure is fueling a pattern of unchecked violence, rights violations, and chaos, in some cases with deadly consequences. If this investigation finds that ICE agents’ misconduct caused Mr. Mejía Hernandez’ injuries or impeded his medical treatment, they must face consequences,” the statement from Rep. Don Beyer, Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Mark Warner, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam and Rep. James Walkinshaw said in part.
