ICE agent Mario Alberto Morales was indicted by a Texas grand jury on Friday and charged with second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for intentionally ramming his car into a Mexican construction worker, prosecutors said.
Morales, 33, was behind the wheel of an unmarked black vehicle on Oct. 10 when it struck Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, who was running away, the Harris County District Attorney's office said.
Parra Hernandez was placed into custody with a broken leg.
ICE called the indictment a “political stunt” and stood by their agent, but said Parra Hernandez stepped in front of the car and called accusations that the officer intentionally struck him false and “reckless.”
The agency also said local officials do not have the authority to investigate federal officers acting in the course of their duties.
“Allegations that ICE struck Miguel Parra-Hernandez intentionally are RECKLESS and FALSE,” ICE said in a statement.
Very few federal officers have faced criminal charges for their actions during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, although some encounters have come under investigation.
The case in Houston was brought by Democrat District Attorney Sean Teare, who is also investigating the fatal shooting of a Mexican homebuilder in July that set off protests in the nation’s fourth-largest city.
Teare has said video that was widely circulated clearly contradicts ICE’s account.
Surveillance video shows a Jeep Cherokee speeding over a median and driving toward Parra Hernandez as he runs away.
During a news conference Friday, Teare played Morales' body camera footage, which shows him driving and talking about pursuing someone.
The video shows a steering wheel, with Morales making a few sharp turns, and at one point, it appears the car has shaken as it runs over something.
Morales gets out of the car and turns around, where Parra Hernandez is on the ground. Parra Hernandez and Morales speak in Spanish for a few seconds as Parra Hernandez grabs his leg, yelling in pain.
Morales can be heard saying, “He got hit with a car, bro,” and “I was coming in and I hit him with the car.”
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