• ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    123
    ·
    edit-2
    2 days ago

    The DHS views the situation differently. In a statement to NBC, a department spokesperson said that “Garcia assaulted and verbally harassed a federal agent and that he was subdued and arrested for the alleged assault”.

    They say this every time, whether or not there is footage obviously proving otherwise.

    Apart from being so insulting and pathetic that this is the government’s generic response to unconstitutional arrests (though he is suing under a tort law due presumptively due to qualified immunity), it’s also outright defamatory to falsely claim that someone has committed a crime and assaulted ICE.

    The story doesn’t provide evidence either way, but if this just is their typical Baghdad Bob propaganda, I hope the victims of ICE start to sue for defamation as well - drain the new bill’s obscene funding with a wave of court-ordered compensation to ICE’s victims.

    • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      5 hours ago

      Ice agent threateningly approaches person holding camera yelling at them to stop recording. While waving his hands around in anger his arm touches the camera person.

      Charge: Felony assault on a police officer.

    • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      1 day ago

      I hope the victims of ICE start to sue for defamation as well - drain the new bill’s obscene funding with a wave of court-ordered compensation to ICE’s victims.

      Oh man, seeing how all of this bill is basically “trickling up” wealth again , it’d be kinda hilarious to use strategic ICE suing to drain it back down to the people again.

      Lawyers would see it as blood in the water after one or two successful cases, especially after that huge budget increase. Gold rush on ICE lol!

    • octopus_ink@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      46
      ·
      edit-2
      2 days ago

      Is verbal harassment of police and such even a thing? What if he did shout ‘fucking pigs’ or whatever while he was videoing? To me that would change nothing - but would it?

      provide evidence either way, but if this just is their typical Baghdad Bob propaganda, I

      • Taldan@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        1 day ago

        These people are arguing in the court of public opinion. The guy could be 100% in the clear legally and it wouldn’t matter if public opinion is against him. The governlent has been doing tons of unconstitutional/illegal things, but only reversed the ones with widespread negative public sentiment

      • JTskulk@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        1 day ago

        Verbal harassment isn’t a thing. You can legally tell a cop to fuck off while flipping them off. The only kind of speech that isn’t allowed is “fighting words” or calls to violence.

          • JTskulk@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            11 hours ago

            And they’ll arrest you, the charges will be dropped, then you’ll sue and win a bunch of money.

      • ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        30
        ·
        2 days ago

        They say he was arrested for the “assault,” but yep, they intentionally phrased it to conflate “verbal harassment” with actual (if true) criminal conduct. It’s a meaningless phrase.

        If anything, they put it there because to the right wing base, it justifies police violence or could support disorderly conduct, or one of the other catch-all pretextual “crimes” used when police want to arrest someone for no real reason.