New Footage Reveals Alarming Details of ICE Officer's Confrontation with Activist Near Chicago
Body camera footage obtained by the Sun-Times has shed new light on a shocking incident in which an off-duty immigration enforcement officer allegedly assaulted a 68-year-old protester near Chicago. The chilling video shows ICE Officer Adam Saracco using force to subdue Robert Held, who was recording him at a gas station.
According to a local law enforcement officer, the situation "doesn't look good" and that Saracco "grabbed at him, got him on the ground." However, it appears that Saracco's account of events differs significantly from Held's. When questioned by police, Saracco claimed that Held was "actively resisting" and refusing to let him take his phone.
The footage obtained by the Sun-Times only captures the police response to the incident, but two witnesses reported seeing an "old man" being tackled and pulled around by Saracco. Another witness stated that he pulled over when he saw Saracco throw Held to the ground.
Saracco faces one misdemeanor count of battery in connection with the December 27 attack at a gas station in Brookfield, Illinois. His employer has been redacted from all records provided to the Sun-Times, but federal officials have confirmed that he is an off-duty ICE law enforcement officer.
In a statement, federal officials described Saracco as being targeted and harassed by a known "ICE agitator," claiming that he was responding to a direct threat against his safety. However, Held maintains that he was not a threat, stating that he has an artificial hip and was calmly standing with a camera on the sidewalk.
Saracco's first court appearance is set for early March, as he faces serious consequences for his actions. The incident raises concerns about police accountability and the treatment of activists who speak out against immigration enforcement practices.
Body camera footage obtained by the Sun-Times has shed new light on a shocking incident in which an off-duty immigration enforcement officer allegedly assaulted a 68-year-old protester near Chicago. The chilling video shows ICE Officer Adam Saracco using force to subdue Robert Held, who was recording him at a gas station.
According to a local law enforcement officer, the situation "doesn't look good" and that Saracco "grabbed at him, got him on the ground." However, it appears that Saracco's account of events differs significantly from Held's. When questioned by police, Saracco claimed that Held was "actively resisting" and refusing to let him take his phone.
The footage obtained by the Sun-Times only captures the police response to the incident, but two witnesses reported seeing an "old man" being tackled and pulled around by Saracco. Another witness stated that he pulled over when he saw Saracco throw Held to the ground.
Saracco faces one misdemeanor count of battery in connection with the December 27 attack at a gas station in Brookfield, Illinois. His employer has been redacted from all records provided to the Sun-Times, but federal officials have confirmed that he is an off-duty ICE law enforcement officer.
In a statement, federal officials described Saracco as being targeted and harassed by a known "ICE agitator," claiming that he was responding to a direct threat against his safety. However, Held maintains that he was not a threat, stating that he has an artificial hip and was calmly standing with a camera on the sidewalk.
Saracco's first court appearance is set for early March, as he faces serious consequences for his actions. The incident raises concerns about police accountability and the treatment of activists who speak out against immigration enforcement practices.
... i mean, what even is an "ICE agitator" supposed to be? sounds like a made-up term to me. and that guy saracco is lucky he didn't get fired on the spot for using force against someone who was just recording him 
. newsflash, officer: if you're gonna interact with people, be nice or don't. no need to resort to violence. it's not like held was some kind of threat... i mean, who gets tackled by an ice agent at a gas station? 
this whole thing is super concerning and needs more scrutiny. we should all be worried about police accountability, especially when there are clear discrepancies in the story 
.
how can u just grab someone and take their phone?
what if held wasnt trying to threaten him at all? maybe he was just minding his biz and got caught in the middle of saracco's drama 
anyway federal officials are trying 2 spin it as saracco being targeted but come on 
we know how that goes...i'm just saying saracco needs 2 answer 4 his actions 
. Can't we just chill with immigration enforcement for one sec? It feels like they're always looking to crack people down who speak out against them. Anyway, what's up with this guy not being identified in the court records though? That's shady 
. And let's be real, this guy was 68 and got tackled to the ground - that's some crazy stuff 
. Maybe we should focus on finding out what really happened instead of vilifying him? 
I mean, who throws someone to the ground just because they're recording? That's like me throwing my phone across the room because someone took my last slice of pizza 
. The fact that his employer got redacted from all records is like a big ol' "he said, she said" situation – or in this case, an off-duty ICE officer said, activist said 
it's wild how he's trying to spin this whole thing as if the old dude was being all aggressive towards him. like, no way is that even remotely true 
we need to make sure that ppl are held accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to law enforcement and immigration policies...
it's like, we're supposed to believe that this guy was targeted and harassed by someone who wasn't even a threat? 
this guy saracco got caught red handed 
his version of events totally don't add up to what witnesses saw goin on 